DOVER — Robert Storch has over 14 years’ experience as an inspector general.
In addition to working as a deputy IG for the U.S. Department of Justice, he served as an inspector general for the National Security Agency and the nation’s Department of Defense.
In the latter position — for which he was nominated by then-President Joe Biden in 2021 and confirmed by the Senate a year later — he oversaw over 1,800 employees and 56 offices. It is the largest Office of the Inspector General in the country.
Now, Storch has joined Delaware as the state’s first inspector general. The division was created via bipartisan legislation passed by the General Assembly last year. Subsequently, Gov. Matt Meyer announced Storch’s nomination in April 2026, and he was approved by the state Senate and sworn in May 8.
Since the office has only existed about a month, Storch is still getting into the swing of things — by, for example, hiring his team. Currently, he has two summer interns and will soon hire investigators, a deputy IG and an analyst. Once at full capacity, he’ll have about 10 employees.
In Meyer’s recommended budget for fiscal 2027, about $1.4 million was alloted for the Office of the Inspector General.
Typically, state inspectors general investigate fraud, waste, mismanagement, corruption and abuse in government agencies. During an interview with the Daily State News on Wednesday, June 10, Storch called his unit “a really critical part of good government.”
“We operate completely independently in doing our oversight and completely in a nonpartisan way, which is critically important because so many issues ... we deal with are of political interest to someone,” he noted.
Storch added that there are usually two basic functions of the office. One is investigative, receiving concerns from the public and from whistleblowers in state government. To that end, a website and hotline will be established for easy accessibility.
The second function is a programmatic one, through which the team examines programs or operations of the state and assesses how well they’re working, plus offers possible improvements.
“Whether it’s from investigative oversight or programmatic oversight, we then would issue a report, and the report would include findings and then also recommendations,” Storch continued. “We never will find … either something that’s been done wrong in an investigation or something programmatically without then making a recommendation as to what should be done or how to address that.”
It’s subsequently up to the state how to respond to the suggestions.
Delaware is the 13th state to develop an Office of the Inspector General, according to Storch, though several others have such departments within individual government agencies.
He believes it’s a great move, especially as one of the smallest states. Because of its size, Delaware has a reputation that everyone knows everyone. With state government, that could possibly get a little murky.
However, Storch thinks his being a newcomer to the area will help with that aspect.
“I don’t know anybody,” he stated. “I’m honored to be here. I’m excited about the opportunity. But I met the governor for the first time in the interview, the legislature, all the rest. And so, I come in with no preconceptions (nor) established relationships.”
Once his office is more refined, Storch hopes to focus on transparency and public outreach.
“There are a lot of folks who’ve lost faith in government,” he said. “And so, one of the things my office, hopefully, will help to do here in Delaware, is to let people know that, regardless of where you are — I don’t care about politics or the political spectrum, regardless of any of that — there are people who are independently looking to make sure that state government is working for them and protecting taxpayer dollars.”
Outreach is important, too, Storch continued, because “the public has a right to know” what’s going on in government. Ideally, this would then improve confidence in the various agencies.
“I want folks to know that they can come to us. We encourage them to do so. It’s very much the lifeblood of an OIG that people come forward when they see something they reasonably think is wrong,” he noted.
Storch is required to report to the General Assembly at least once a year. He pointed out that, at the federal level, an IG is obligated to keep each department and Congress fully informed more regularly.
Therefore, he will be doing the same with lawmakers.
“We intend very much to have that good relationship with the General Assembly,” he said. “I want to let them know what we’re looking at and also hear from them.”
Storch will be a full-time Delawarean soon. Though relocating was not a prerequisite, he wants to move here from Washington, D.C., “to do the job right” and be engaging with the state “in a persistent way.”
His main office is in downtown Dover, right across from Legislative Hall and several other executive branch buildings. Storch said this site is representative of how the Office of the Inspector General should work.
“We have our own independent building, but we’re (within) reach of the state government,” he stated. “And I think that’s a great metaphor for the way OIGs function.”
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