Delaware audit finds misuse at Marydel
- Delaware Auditor Lydia York released a report finding Marydel Volunteer Fire Company leaders mishandled money, ignored bylaws, and ran weak controls in fiscal 2021-2023. - Auditors said four of 10 allegations were fully or partly substantiated, including undocumented poker cash, gift cards, conference travel, and family Six Flags tickets. - The findings echo a 2014 Marydel audit that also flagged weak controls and poor financial management. (auditor.delaware.gov)
Delaware’s state auditor says former leaders of the Marydel Volunteer Fire Company mishandled company money and operated with little oversight from 2021 through 2023. (auditor.delaware.gov) Auditor Lydia York’s office released the investigatory report on April 28 after reviewing allegations involving the company’s former president and treasurer in Kent County. (news.delaware.gov) (auditor.delaware.gov) The report says auditors fully or partially substantiated four of 10 allegations. It says the company failed to follow its own bylaws on budgeting and allowed key decisions without effective checks. (news.delaware.gov) (auditor.delaware.gov) Auditors said Marydel spent freely on fundraising events, gift cards and conference travel, and ran unauthorized poker tournaments with no legitimate records showing income or expenses. (auditor.delaware.gov) Without those records, the auditor said it could not determine how much cash the poker events generated or trace the gross revenue back into company accounts. (auditor.delaware.gov) Delaware Online reported that questioned spending also included family Six Flags tickets, which the auditor described as part of the financial abuse tied to public funds. (delawareonline.com) The case lands after state officials had already intervened at Marydel in late 2024. Delaware Online reported that the State Fire Commission then ordered the company to conduct an internal audit over claims of financial impropriety. (delawareonline.com) The new report also ties the current findings to Marydel’s past. York’s office said a 2014 inspection found no written policies, weak internal controls and a management culture that disregarded even informal rules. (auditor.delaware.gov 1) (auditor.delaware.gov 2) Auditors said there were no apparent corrective actions after that 2014 report from legislators, county officials, fire commissioners or the public that prevented similar problems from returning. (auditor.delaware.gov) The people who served as president, treasurer and secretary during the period under review are no longer with Marydel, according to the report. The auditor said the findings were being sent to the governor, attorney general, controller general and budget office. (auditor.delaware.gov)
