States rely on their auditors to be the guardians against fraud, waste, abuse and opacity when it comes to how the public’s money is spent.

Delaware residents have reason to be worried, after state Auditor Kathleen McGuiness was indicted recently on public corruption charges including felony counts of theft and witness intimidation, and misdemeanor charges of official misconduct, conflict of interest and noncompliance with state procurement laws.

McGuiness allegedly hired her daughter and one of her daughter’s friends as temporary employees in May 2020, when other temps were being let go because the pandemic meant there wasn’t much work for them.

The daughter was then allegedly paid even after she left and went to college.

Should the allegations be proven true, McGuiness must be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

Closer to home, we have reason for confidence in our chief of finance.

Ohioans have come to trust that state Auditor Keith Faber will be a tenacious steward of their money, with his office tackling problems such as the Buckeye State’s unemployment system, which Faber says uses too much state revenue to operate. All indications are that he has served the state and its people well while he has held this important office in Columbus.

It is easy to take that kind of work for granted.

But as residents in the state of Delaware seem to be learning the hard way, perhaps we should not.