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Connecticut Lieutenant Governor candidate Matthew Corey today called on the General Assembly to advance a constitutional amendment during the 2026 legislative session creating a directly elected State Auditor, giving Connecticut residents an independent watchdog over government spending.

Corey said the current oversight system—where state auditors are appointed by the legislature they are responsible for auditing—creates a structural conflict of interest that has allowed major scandals and misuse of taxpayer funds to go undetected.

“For too long, Connecticut has operated under a system where government insiders are effectively policing themselves,” Corey said. “When oversight depends on the people being overseen, accountability becomes optional.”

Currently, Connecticut’s audit system is run by two state auditors—one Democrat and one Republican—appointed by the legislature through a bipartisan audit committee. Both auditors ultimately serve at the pleasure of the legislature, the very body whose spending and programs they are expected to review.

“While the structure is labeled bipartisan, the auditors still answer to the legislature that appoints them,” Corey said. “That is not truly independent oversight.”

Recent scandals have highlighted the weaknesses in Connecticut’s oversight system. The Kosta Diamantis corruption scandal and the recent $1.7 million nonprofit earmark fraud case both raised serious questions about how taxpayer dollars were being monitored and how long problems were allowed to continue before action was taken.

In both cases, it was federal investigators—not Connecticut’s internal oversight system—that ultimately exposed the wrongdoing.

“When it takes federal investigators to uncover corruption and misuse of taxpayer money in Connecticut government, something is clearly broken in our system of oversight,” Corey said. “The people of Connecticut deserve independent watchdogs that answer to the voters—not to the politicians they are supposed to investigate.”

Corey is proposing the creation of a directly elected State Auditor, accountable to voters rather than political leadership in Hartford.

To ensure the office remains fully independent, Corey said the State Auditor should be elected in an off-gubernatorial election year so the position is not tied to the governor’s ticket or partisan political coattails.

“Oversight should stand on its own,” Corey said. “If this office is going to hold government accountable, it must be independent of both the legislature and the executive branch.”

Under Corey’s proposal, an elected State Auditor would have the authority to:

• Conduct independent audits of state agencies and programs
• Investigate waste, fraud, and abuse involving taxpayer dollars
• Provide transparent reports directly to the public
• Operate without political interference from the legislature

Corey also said Connecticut residents deserve greater transparency when questions arise involving public funds and politically connected nonprofit organizations.

“The public deserves answers when taxpayer dollars flow through organizations connected to elected officials,” Corey said. “That includes situations where lawmakers have personal relationships with individuals running nonprofits receiving state funding. Transparency should be expected—not avoided.”

Corey noted that even Connecticut’s Inspector General’s office has a limited scope, often investigating only specific areas defined by the legislature.

“Oversight should not be selective,” Corey said. “It should be independent and accountable to the public.”

Corey said the Connecticut Constitution already provides a pathway for this reform. Under Article XII, the General Assembly has the authority to approve a constitutional amendment and place it before the voters.

“With the legislature now beginning the 2026 session, lawmakers should move quickly to advance a constitutional amendment creating a directly elected State Auditor and allow the people of Connecticut to vote on it,” Corey said.

“If legislative leaders truly support transparency and accountability, they should have no problem letting the voters decide whether Connecticut deserves an independent watchdog.”

“Restoring trust in government begins with real oversight,” Corey said. “And that starts by giving Connecticut taxpayers someone whose loyalty is to the public—not the political establishment.”

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