SHARE

Fairfield Sen. McKinney Calls For Bill To Combat Government Fraud

FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- State Senate Minority Leader John McKinney (R-Fairfield-Easton-Weston-Westport) is renewing a call for the General Assembly to pass legislation to create an Office of Inspector General. 

State Senate Minority Leader John McKinney (R-Fairfield) is renewing a call for the General Assembly to pass legislation to create an Office of Inspector General.

State Senate Minority Leader John McKinney (R-Fairfield) is renewing a call for the General Assembly to pass legislation to create an Office of Inspector General.

Photo Credit: File Photo

The proposed position "would be charged with rooting out and eliminating fraud and corruption in state and municipal government," according to a press release from McKinney's office. The bill received a March 10 public hearing in the state legislature’s Government Administration and Elections Committee.

“The purpose of an inspector general is to combat waste, fraud and inefficiency in government,” McKinney said in the release. “This office would have the taxpayers’ backs.”

Under the proposal, the state inspector general would "have broad authority to conduct audits and investigations of all facets of state government, have direct access to all records of state agencies, have power to subpoena information and documents, receive and respond to complaints from agency employees, whose confidentiality would be protected," according to the release. 

“At the State Capitol, we talk a lot about the importance of government transparency, but we rarely do anything to improve it,” McKinney said in the release. “This is my last session in the Connecticut General Assembly. I have proposed creating a state Office of Inspector General in every legislative session since 2003, often with Democrat co-sponsors.

"But despite numerous scandals, allegations of state government waste, and abuses of state government offices resulting in fines, resignations and even imprisonments, this proposal has been rejected every single year. In many of those instances, Connecticut investigated possible wrongdoing after the fact. An inspector general’s office would be empowered to conduct pre-emptive inspections, potentially preventing fraud and abuse before it happens.”

to follow Daily Voice Fairfield and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE