Secretary Bunting Has Far Too Much Power And Authority

Last night, I wrote about how Delaware Secretary of Education and Brandywine Superintendent Dr. Mark Holodick broke the law by brokering a Memorandum of Understand with the Buccini-Pollen Group.  It turns out Bunting and the Delaware Department of Education snuck in a “Secretary-Only” regulation which means the State Board of Education did not have to vote on it.

Regulation 415, which covers Voluntary School Assessments was never even brought up by the State Board of Education in their meetings.  They always put Secretary-Only regulations as a topic on their agendas, even if they don’t vote on them.

Bunting and Holodick still broke the law with the MOU because the Regulation wasn’t finalized until Mid-September of this year.  They acted in haste for some reason and finalized their own MOU in anticipation of the Regulation.  They made a huge mistake with that MOU and they should be held accountable.

How did Susan Bunting amass so much power in less than two years?  Why is she abusing that authority to the best of her ability?  Why isn’t she being held accountable for her decade-long knowledge of Patrick Miller’s theft of funds in Indian River School District?  These are very dark days at the Delaware DOE.  Led by a woman with the morality of a snake.

Our Delaware General Assembly needs to change the way regulations happen in this state.  That is where a ton of shady stuff goes down.  We have too many state agencies that circumvent the Delaware General Assembly and do what they damn well please!  Enough!  They also need to bring down the authority of the Secretary of Education in Delaware.  There is far too much the Secretary can do as one person without any true meaningful public input.

Patrick Miller Brainwashes His Fire Company Cult Followers

The Jim Jones of Delaware fraud is at it again.  What did the infamous Patrick Miller do now?  He only lied to the entire membership of the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company at their monthly meeting.

The People Of Delaware Demand Justice Be Served On Patrick Miller!

Enough is enough already.  This guy has been walking around since the 1990s with fraud and abuse of taxpayer funds in his rearview mirror as he walks around like he is the Al Capone of Delaware.  If the Delaware Attorney General’s office won’t act, the people will force them to!

Please sign the Change.org petition at the below link.  I was really hoping Attorney General Matt Denn would take significant action against Patrick Miller but he failed, plain and simple.  Now it is incumbent on incoming Attorney General Kathleen Jennings to reopen the investigations into Patrick Miller, not only at the Indian River School District but also the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company.

Change.org Petition: The People Demand A Full Investigation Into Patrick Miller!

Why Is The Delaware Attorney General’s Office Protecting Patrick Miller And The Sussex Tech Bandits?

A shocking email from an Indian River board member highlights the vast amount of corruption and scandal coming from the highest levels of the state when it comes to Patrick Miller.  We are all wondering how the current President of the Board at Indian River Volunteer Fire Company is still walking around free.

Last week, I reported how citizen Billie Jo Bullock emailed the entire board down in Indian River.  She got three responses back.

Letter To Indian River School Board Re: Civil Lawsuit Against Patrick Miller

It has been two years since the Indian River School District Audit Investigation report came out.  In that time, the Delaware Attorney General’s office decided it wasn’t worth pursuing criminal charges against former Chief Financial Officer Patrick Miller.  Even though African-American and minority charter school leaders who pulled the same shenanigans did get punished.  Delaware’s justice system really sucks.  Delaware Attorney General Matt Denn knows better than this.  I am highly disappointed.

One citizen of the district decided to email the Indian River Board of Education and find out why they didn’t go after Miller in a civil suit.

Delaware AG’s Office Refuses To Prosecute Patrick Miller For Theft Of Funds In Indian River School District. Is It Because He Is White?

Multiple sources are telling me the same thing: the Delaware Attorney General’s office will NOT arrest, indict, or press charges against former Indian River School District Chief Financial Officer Patrick Miller.  With reasons as absurd as “insufficient evidence”, this is a black eye that will severely impact the four years Matt Denn served as Delaware Attorney General.  But the only color I see in this decision is a white one.

State Rep. Smyk Removes Patrick Miller As His Campaign Treasurer

Last weekend I reported State Representative Stephen Smyk had Patrick Miller as his Campaign Treasurer according to campaign finance reports from 2013 until January of 2018.  Earlier this week, Smyk removed Miller from this function.

Like I said in the article the other day, it is one thing to have him listed from 2013-2015.  But to keep him after the allegations against him stemming from the Indian River Audit investigation and the district putting him on leave (until he retired and was able to collect a state pension) is another thing.

It looks like Smyk wised up and saw the light.  Miller continues to serve as the Board President of the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company.  Smyk has family members that are a part of that organization.

State Rep. Steve Smyk Has Patrick Miller As His Campaign Treasurer

As recently as January 20th of this year, Patrick Miller has signed the campaign finance reports for State Rep. Steve Smyk.  Miller is listed as the Treasurer for “Friends of Steve Smyk”.

Miller, the controversial figure who loomed large in two audit investigations for school districts, Brandywine in 1999 and Indian River in 2016, now serves as the President of the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company.  Smyk has family members in the fire company.  Smyk made light of allegations against Miller on WGMD the other day and actually suggested it wasn’t criminal actions but unethical moves.

I would think, given the MANY allegations against Patrick Miller, the last thing any political candidate would want is to have Miller anywhere near a political campaign.  But I guess when your family is at the fire company Miller presides over it is worth it.  Sadly, Smyk’s father is on the financial oversight committee of the fire company.  But that oversight has triggered the Auditor of Accounts office and the Delaware Department of Justice to look into the same fire company.

I could understand if Miller was your campaign treasurer BEFORE the Indian River audit investigation came out.  But AFTER?  That is political suicide in my opinion.

How deep does the Miller well go?  Very deep.  Miller has been doing taxes for members of the fire company for many years.  But he won’t put his name on it.  This is the same Patrick Miller who put non-members on a state list to get tax credits they didn’t qualify for.  That, my friends, is tax fraud.  Ah, Rep. Smyk.  This does not look good for you, not at all…

Miller wasn’t the only campaign treasurer for a Sussex County politician.  Turns out he was the campaign treasurer for the recently convicted former Delaware State Representative John Atkins as well.  While Miller’s name doesn’t appear on the 2017 annual campaign finance report for Atkins, it is worth noting that NO ONE signed that filing.  But Miller is clearly listed on Atkins’ 2015 annual filing.  Atkins, a former Republican who switched to a Democrat, lost in 2014 to Republican Rich Collins.  Miller is a registered Republican.

Smyk, the incumbent Republican State Representative for the 20th State Rep. District faces Democrat John Bucchioni in the Delaware General Election in November.

Patrick Miller is toxic to anyone associated with him.  Why Smyk would continue this association is beyond me.

The below video, from “The Shawshank Redemption”, does have a few curse words.  Fair warning!

Candidate Message: Seymour F. Ungus, 42nd State Rep District, Delaware NOW Party

Next up in the Candidate Message series is Seymour F. Ungus from the 42nd State Rep District.  He is running on the Delaware NOW ticket.

The Delaware DOE: The Support, Enforce, or Ignore Test

Delaware Secretary of Education Dr. Susan Bunting, under the policies of Delaware Governor John Carney, has transformed the Delaware Department of Education into a support organization.  Before Bunting, Carney recognized the DOE as an enforcement organization during former Governor Jack Markell’s two terms.  Carney put it on Bunting to make that transformation.  Did she succeed?

Bombshell Document Shows Massive Amounts Of Collusion With Indian River School District Audit Investigation

It appears there was collusion going on between various Delaware agencies when it came to the Indian River School District audit investigation in 2016.  As a result of that collusion, Patrick Miller walks free and Susan Bunting became the Delaware Secretary of Education.

Delaware DOJ Fraud/Theft Prosecutions Since 2015

Last night, I sent an email to Delaware Attorney General Matt Denn about the ongoing problem in Delaware concerning fraud and theft of taxpayer funds in Delaware from various state agencies and organizations dependent on state funding.  Today, Sonia Augusthy, the head of the Civil Rights and Public Trust division sent me an email regarding my concerns.  She sent me a list of what that division has done since they were created in 2015.  I was shocked at the amount of names but since I primarily write about education, it is sad to see how rampant fraud and theft is across the state.  I was not away Shanna Simmens from Providence Creek Academy had been indicted and is awaiting prosecution.  This is the email sent to me from Sonia Augusthy:

Guest Post: Billie Jo Casapulla Bullock on Patrick Miller’s Abuse Of Funds From Indian River Volunteer Fire Company

Editor’s note: Billie Jo Casapulla Bullock worked at the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company until July 12th, 2018.  She volunteered there for seven years as an Emergency Medical Technician.  She was suspended in early June.  The board of the fire department, after a vote by the fire company, terminated Bullock after she had come forward about her discovery of financial improprieties stemming from Patrick Miller and had gone public.  Miller has seven relatives as members of the fire company.  Today, Bullock sent an email to every single legislator in the state along with Governor Carney, Attorney General Matt Denn, State Treasurer Ken Simpler and the Delaware State Fire Prevention Commission.

I am asking that the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company be looked into for fraud, abuse of authority and abuse of public trust.  It has been found by myself and the treasurer that the President Patrick Miller has been doing the above.  There is such a dictatorship at the company that the members are afraid to speak up and take action.  This is  what the treasurer sent to the fire chief after the vice president would not take action against the president and suspend him until an investigation was complete.

—– Forwarded Message —–

From: “Michael Eisenhauer” <meisenhauer1@verizon.net>

To: “‘Steven Deery'” <steven.deery@irvfc.com>

Sent: Thu, Jun 28, 2018 at 3:05 PM

Subject: SCBA grant

It appears that FEMA intends to fund our grant.  I had to fill out paperwork for the bank to be aware of direct deposit of funds from FEMA.  Mike Penzotti called me and said that this is the process when they decide to fund grants.  My concern is this.  The Delaware Congressional Team will get involved and if we have issues that they become aware of I think we can kiss the grant goodbye.  There is one single issue that should have resulted in the suspension of the president.  He has been getting the News Journal since 2012and having it paid on the Credit Card.  He gets on the computer and inputs “News Journal (or Newspaper) Electronic version”, $15.00 and now it is $22.00 a month.  A member asked me for the password to read the paper but I don’t have it so I went to find it.  IRVFC does not have a subscription to the News Journal.  What the Company has been paying for since 2012, is for the Sunday print edition of the News Journal delivered to Patrick Miller. (editor’s note: I took out Mr. Miller’s home address and phone #.)  For the past 90 months the president for the most part has been falsifying company records for his personal gain.  I have documented a persistent pattern of abuse of authority and dishonesty on behalf of the President of Indian Rive Volunteer Fire Company.  I tested Mario Street and he took the information to Patrick and after that I quit communicating with Mario.  Mario made  a serious error by using his position at SUSCOM to get at BJ and he well feel more than just the heat in the near future.

Now, it is up to you Steven.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.

Michael Eisenhauer

Treasurer

This letter shows just one thing that is happening.  This is just the TIP of the iceberg  After the treasurer and myself started to investigate we uncovered a substantial amount of misappropriated funds from Patrick Miller .

We all know how much the volunteer fire companies in the state receives from state and  county funding.  This is tax payers money and I feel that there needs to be more accountability within the fire companies to stop fraud. 

There are many other organizations that could use this funding if the fire companies are going to lie cheat and steal. 

I can say that the other fire companies that have found fraud stepped up and took action against the abuser, this is not the case for Indian River because Patrick Miller controls everything within the company.  Just like he did when he was the CFO at the Indian River School District.  He is still the same person and nothing has change and as you can see he has been abusing his trust at the fire company for a very long time.

To this day nothing has been done and Patrick Miller has been able to continue to do the above mentioned actions to now include trying to hide what he has done.  The financial oversight committee did request the state to do an investigation and Patrick Miller stopped that from happening.  At this point I think it is going to take the state to step in and take action to resolve this issue and bring trust back to the company and community.

Thank you for your time in this serious matter,

Billie Jo Bullock

Editor’s note: Wow!  Patrick Miller is at it again.  Not a state secret.  I’ve written about this before.  The problem is he keeps getting away with it.  At this point, I can only surmise that if he goes down he will take a ton of people down with him.  Including Delaware Secretary of Education Dr. Susan Bunting.  Even though I’ve made Carney and Delaware aware of her knowledge of his theft in Indian River School District, they are ignoring it.  They don’t know what to do with it.  So they continue to act like a deer in a headlight.  Meanwhile, the rampant theft continues.  I believe the State Auditor’s office already has a lot of the information Bullock references.  But according to Miller, there is no investigation going on.  The Delaware State Fire Prevention Commission has yet to act on any of this.  Their next board meeting is next Tuesday but they don’t have an agenda for their meeting.  Which breaks FOIA law because that has to be put up on their website or on the Delaware Public Meeting calendar seven days before their meeting.  I would file a FOIA complaint but how many times can I do that with no accountability?  Sigh…

I would like to give immense praise and gratitude to Billie Jo Casapulla Bullock to stand tall in the face of this.  It takes a very courageous person to come forward and do what is right.  As a result, she was terminated.  That is retaliation.  That is illegal.  And it isn’t the first time this happened with Miller.  He is a walking, talking, and breathing menace to Delaware.  We have too many scumbags like that in this state.  I know some legislators did respond to Bullock and she gives her thanks.

We stand at a crossroads in Delaware.  We the people can no longer ignore the shenanigans going on here.  It is time to call people out, loudly and publicly.  Whether it is personal or in the public’s right to know, things MUST change.  Our state government is doing nothing.  I have many ideas on how to really change things.  I would love to hear your thoughts.  There will be more on this soon.

The Hypocrisy Of Susan Bunting Firing A DOE Employee For “Misconduct In Office & Willful Neglect Of Duty” After Her Own Actions In Indian River

In February of 2017, during the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center crisis, a Delaware Department of Education employee working as a Prison Education Teacher gave information to the News Journal about the situation.  The next month, Delaware Secretary of Education Dr. Susan Bunting fired him for “misconduct in office and willful neglect of duty” according to public court documents.

Governor Carney’s Communications Director Jonathan Starkey On Susan Bunting: “No Comment”

I just called Jonathan Starkey, Governor Carney’s Communications Director.  I asked him flat-out what Governor Carney is doing about the Susan Bunting situation.  I received silence.  I then advised Starkey we are now seeing 105.9 articles being removed from Google searches and my Facebook post being reported as spam last week.  His official response: “No comment.”

I let Starkey know there would be more coming out and this is just making the Governor look worse.  He thanked me for my call.

Seriously?  Carney better get his head out of the sand and act on this.  We have a sitting Secretary of Education, at a Cabinet level position, with allegations of knowing about widespread financial theft and parent complaints about extremely egregious behavior from Patrick Miller, and Starkey gives me a “no comment”?

I thought about the Facebook spamming and the 105.9 article disappearing from Google.  The fact that it is disappearing shows they do not want it out there.  It isn’t a case of it being untrue and they know it.  They are actively trying to suppress the information and preventing people from seeing it.  In the grand scheme of things, a Delaware Secretary of Education knowing about this stuff isn’t earth-shattering news for America.

This is my hunch: Bunting is just the tip of the iceberg.  It was just last Friday the Delaware Dept. of Justice sentenced a former DOE employee to probation for stealing grant money.  Patrick Miller was doing the same thing.  How rampant is this?  How many education dollars have been stolen over the years?  I believe this is what they don’t want us doing.  They don’t want us knowing they have been powerless to stop it so they ignore it and pray it goes away.  The people of Delaware aren’t idiots.  As I told Starkey, I’m not giving up on this.

If you have ANY information about foul play with Delaware education funds, anywhere, be it a district, charter school, or the DOE, anything, let me know.  I promise confidentiality.  But it is time for the shattered puzzle pieces to come together so we have a clear picture.  As taxpaying citizens, we need to know what is going on.  Enough is enough.  No more.  If they want a war, they just got one.

Delaware DOE Employee Gets Off Easy On Theft Of Education Funds

In yet another pathetic sentencing, a Delaware state employee got off very easy for stealing in what should have been a harsher sentence.  When did our Delaware Department of Justice get so soft?

Governor Carney Salutes Bunting For Work On Regulation 225 But Ignores Her Lies About Patrick Miller

Wow!  Delaware Governor Carney came out with a press release regarding the recent decision to kill Regulation 225.  In his statement, he actually praises Delaware Secretary of Education Dr. Susan Bunting for her hard work during this public process.  But her hard work in letting Patrick Miller steal money and insult parents in her own district is okay to ignore judging by Carney’s non-responsiveness on the issue.  Warning- the following contains wording that is NOT SAFE FOR WORK!

Regulation 225 Is Dead But Bunting Is Still Secretary Of Education

The Delaware Department of Education officially announced Regulation 225, which dealt with discrimination of transgender students will not move forward.  I find the timing on this to be very interesting, but I will get into that right after the Delaware DOE press release:

My Challenge To Secretary Bunting

Over the past few weeks, I’ve written several articles about Patrick Miller and Dr. Susan Bunting.  As sources continue to give me more information, the news from Governor Carney and the Delaware Department of Education in response to this have been non-existent.  Half the state knows about this but the state agencies involved with this are on mute.

**UPDATED** Exceptional Delaware Under Attack!

Someone involved with my article about Susan Bunting yesterday is piping mad!  How mad?  They are reporting the post to Facebook as “spam”.  I tend to post to about 10-15 Facebook groups around public education or Delaware.  Every single one of those received a notification stating it was removed as “spam”.  But it goes further because the article was shared by over 300 people on Facebook.  Each one of those people are getting the same notification from Facebook.

Who is reporting this post as spam?  There are culprits aplenty with this one!  Could it be Susan Bunting herself?  Someone from the DOE?  The Governor’s office?  Patrick Miller?  His brother?  Chuck Bireley?  Leolga Wright?  Someone doesn’t want this out there, that is obvious.  Too late for that.  This is one of the highest-read articles I’ve written in some time.  Not to mention all my followers who received emails about it.  Good luck getting this one to disappear.

So if you shared this post and get the Facebook notification marking it as “spam”, please go to the review and hit “not spam”.  Thank you.  Transparency is hard work sometimes!

Updated, 8/1/18, 8:11am: It appears all the Monday morning Bunting posts have been restored on Facebook.  Even this article was reported to Facebook as well but it has been restored as well.  I was getting messages all night from people wanting to know why their posting of the link was reported.  These are the times we live in!