More criticism is heading Richard Blumenthal's way. A report released by the State Auditors says that while the managerial problems fall short of being serious lapses, better administration procedures of the Attorney General's office is needed.
Specifically, the auditors said there's been a pattern of lax management in the three years covered in their report, 2004, 2005, and 2006. They say this includes lateness in depositing cash receipts in accounts that earn interest, a need for more control of pre-approved comp time because there was no documentation of comp time for three high-level employees, the office's receivables were overstated by $360,000 one year, and that the costs of outside legal services exceeded the contracted amounts.
One Republican candidate for Attorney General, Martha Dean, said Tuesday that Blumenthal has shut down companies, small businesses right and left, and forced them to pay large fines for practices that are much less serious than these.
George Jepsen, the Democratic nominee for Attorney General, defended Blumenthal, saying he's done a superb job and that while some missteps may have occurred, Blumenthal has served brilliantly over twenty years in that position.
Blumenthal's campaign office said it would not respond to the auditors' report. His Attorney General's office is quoted as saying that in some cases, only isolated instances of administrative lapses were found.
