“It is
time we as a state engage in a serious debate about government
corruption. It is my hope that we will emerge from that
debate united in our belief that we as a state must act
now to eliminate such corruption and put in place a structure
that will prevent it from happening again,” said Sen.
McKinney.
In his testimony
before the GAE committee, Sen. McKinney acknowledged Congressman
Christopher Shays (R-4), who was unable to attend today’s
public hearing due to inclement weather in Washington, D.C.
“It was Congressman Shays who first spoke out about
the need for an Inspector General in the city of Bridgeport
as a means to root out corruption in city government,”
said Sen. McKinney. “His crusade to clean up the corruption
in his city is admirable, and he has convinced me that we
as a state need to act.”
According to
Sen. McKinney, the office of Inspector General would have
broad authority to conduct audits and investigations and
most importantly, receive and respond to complaints from
employees, whose confidentiality is to be protected.
“This is
not a new concept. Inspectors General exist at the national,
state and even municipal levels of government. In fact,
we once had such an office here in Connecticut,” said
Sen. McKinney.
