The Delaware Department of Justice’s white collar criminal unit is reviewing data from the auditor’s office that alerted potential non-compliance with grant money given to Kent County nonprofit Code Purple.
The nonprofit aims to provide resources to those suffering from homelessness, abuse and addiction and received government funds distributed by the state’s Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission, co-chaired by Jennings.
Jennings says although Code Purple is presumed innocent, information from the auditor’s office and preliminary findings suggest there is “serious reason to believe that the grant money was not being used for the reasons they applied for.”
“There was consensus to put a freeze on any additional money going to Code Purple in Kent County. There was also a request by the commission members to claw back the money that had been spent — I believe it was around $290,000."
The funding came from the state’s Opioid Abatement and Remediation Grant Program, which focuses on funding overdose reversal medication, supporting those in addiction treatment, funding media campaigns to prevent opioid misuse and treating opioid disorders.
Jennings adds the commission has also decided to put a hold on distributing further grant funding to any organization until outside consultant Social Contract delivers a report on installing better guardrails to help prevent future incidents like this.
“We'll be putting those guard rails in place, we'll be making sure that there is adequate staffing to do the job appropriately, and we're gonna go forward with spending the money, but it's going to be spent under different circumstances," Jennings said.
Jennings says the timeline of the investigation will depend on what the facts are and how intense the probe needs to be, but reports from the consulting agency are expected in the coming months.
"I realize that the treatment needs in Delaware are extremely urgent, and people's lives are at stake. So we want to make sure that that report is done effectively, but it's also done quickly. It is my understanding from contacts with Social Contract that we will have a report in August and one report in September," she said.
"We all want to get those funds out into the community, but we have to be smart about it, and we have to make sure there are adequate monitors looking into the use of the funds. The lieutenant governor knows my concerns, I've shared them with the entire commission publicly and repeatedly. She and I are on the same page that all of this money needs to be spent effectively."
