Defense says auditor not to blame for contract payments

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Evidence in the corruption trial of State Auditor Kathy McGuiness suggests that McGuiness expected an employee to handle a controversial contractor payment that is at the heart of the criminal case.

But the defense said Friday that McGuiness had no way of knowing the employee tasked with handling such payments wouldn’t be available. That’s because she decided to quit while on vacation. McGuiness is being tried on felony counts of theft and witness intimidation, and other misdemeanor charges.

Prosecutors allege, among other things, that McGuiness orchestrated the no-bid contract in question then deliberately kept the contract payments under $5,000 to avoid having to get them approved by the Division of Accounting.

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