Why should Delaware care?
After years of efforts to create an office to investigate abuse in government, the Delaware Office of Inspector General has launched operations and is fielding tips from whistleblowers. The launch follows several high-profile incidents of embezzlement and questionable spending.
After months of building up an office, Delaware’s new government watchdog charged with investigating fraud, waste, mismanagement and corruption is formally seeking out whistleblowers.
On a website launched Tuesday, the Delaware Office of Inspector General lists a hotline where users can anonymously submit reports of government malfeasance by phone or email.
The website also provides a clickable orange button that directs users to an online form to make such reports.
The form notes that the new inspector general’s office is charged with investigating the operations of Delaware’s state government, including its school districts. Also within its investigative purview are claims of retaliation against whistleblowers.
The office does not investigate the operations of cities, counties, or the Delaware courts.
The website’s rollout follows lawmakers’ passage last year of legislation formally creating the Delaware Office of Inspector General. It was the culmination of nearly two decades of attempts to create such an office in a state where officials have often celebrated their ability to quietly strike deals outside of a noisy public sphere.
The bill also passed after recent high-profile cases of government waste, including embezzlement at the Department of Labor and questionable spending from the state’s opioid abuse prevention fund.
Last year, Gov. Matt Meyer signed the bill into law, and in April nominated Robert P. Storch, a longtime federal government watchdog, to become Delaware’s first inspector general.
At the time Meyer called Storch a “seasoned leader” who could ensure that government actions are transparent and accountable. Prior to his nomination, Storch served for years as an inspector general at the federal level, most recently at the Department of Defense. In early 2025, he was among several inspectors general fired by President Donald Trump, who cited “changing priorities” for the dismissals.
Storch subsequently sued the Trump administration alongside seven other inspectors general.
In an interview Wednesday, Storch said he does not intend to return to the federal government even if his ongoing lawsuit is successful. He expressed excitement at the prospect of investigating within a state government setting where the public can see the results more immediately.
Storch said has been hiring staffers in recent months and his office now has filled six of its 10 allotted positions. He said he launched the website on Tuesday because his team is now big enough to handle reports submitted through the portal.
“And we’re still staffing, so that’s going to continue to be a work in progress,” he said.
Storch also said his office had already recieved tips about government waste, even before the launch of the website.
Asked about his priorities, he cited accountability and transparency. Pressed for details, he said the legislature has given him a “broad mandate” to independently scrutinize operations across government.
He also said he will try to direct his office’s investigations to those that have the biggest impact as measured by several factors, including dollars recovered, policy improvements recommended, or criminal charges filed.
