As election looms, auditor appoints Republican candidate to fill in as deputy

With less than 20 days until the Nov. 6 general election, State Auditor Tom Wagner has appointed James Spadola, the Republican candidate for the position, his deputy auditor. 

Wagner has long experienced health issues and hopes to get a kidney transplant within the next month, he said. Spadola, who is running against Democrat and Rehoboth Beach Commissioner Kathy McGuiness, will help run the office while Wagner is getting treated. 

"Spadola will be serving in a part-time capacity to assist the office while I am attending medical appointments and recovering," Wagner said in a statement. "Spadola is an Iraq war veteran, a former Newark, Delaware, police officer, a previous underwriting manager, the vice-chairman of the Wilmington Housing Authority and the director of Partnerships for Coded by Kids. He has a strong financial and investigative background with a commitment to public service.

"I look forward to his contributions to the office."

Spadola said he just wants to serve, as he did after 9/11, dropping out of the University of Delaware to go to Iraq with the Army Reserve. He was humbled to be appointed to the position and said he made the decision based on what he felt was right, not what voters would think. 

"Yeah, I'm running to be No. 1 and help the office and serve Delaware," he said. "But I'm being given the opportunity to be the No. 2 and have that impact with the right intentions and for the right reasons. I can't turn that down." 

Democrats said they are sympathetic to Wagner's condition and have him in their thoughts and prayers, but called the decision an "audacious" move that "just smacks of a political stunt." 

"Delaware voters are smart and they will clearly see through my opponent's efforts to inject partisanship into the Auditor’s Office at the taxpayers' expense," McGuiness said in a statement. 

Jesse Chadderdon, Executive Director of the democratic party in Delaware, said:  “James has talked about the importance of having independence in this office, and this shows he has none of it," said

He said it was "frankly disappointing" that one of the long-serving merit employees who work in the office weren't tapped to run things instead. By definition, merit employees are hired on their ability to perform a job, rather than their political connections. 

Wagner said he doesn't have many managers left. According to a report obtained by The News Journal, Wagner's former chief administrative auditor Kathleen Davies had created a hostile work environment that divided employees and led more than one to quit.

When Davies announced she would be running for the seat, things further destabilized. Davies lost the primary in September, but Wagner said his "hopes of having a great foundation for the next auditor have diminished." 

RACE FOR THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE

Confidential report claims abuse of power, 'hostile workplace' in state Auditor's Office

Lawmakers demand leak investigation into Kathleen Davies report

McGuiness winsclose 3-way Democratic primary for auditor

"One of the key employees who I brought in to help fix it ... she announced that tomorrow is her last day," Wagner said when reached by phone. "You can scream 'politics' all that you want, but to find someone you can trust, that can fill in, in a part-time position for six to eight weeks, it isn't easy." 

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and I decided I need someone in the office that will be looking out for the overall office’s interests. I want my auditing staff totally focused on doing auditing, I don’t want them worried about me. I don’t want them worried about this or that. I just want them focused on auditing.”

Delaware Politics

U.S. Sen. Tom Carper pressed by Arlett about decades-old domestic violence incident during debate

Disagreements are few, but odd, in Blunt Rochester-Walker U.S. House debate

Democrats file election complaint against prominent Republicans

Contact Jessica Bies at (302) 324-2881 or jbies@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @jessicajbies.