Governor Braun says ex-DCS director’s special advisor position is a ‘second chance’

By KARA KENNEY
WISH-TV | wishtv.com

Governor Mike Braun says the former director at the Indiana Department of Child Services left “because he had a personal issue” and that he deserves a second chance.

Lawmakers and taxpayers have blasted the new special advisor position created for ex-DCS director Adam Krupp, a position that pays $210,000.

I-Team 8 caught up with Braun after a news conference.

Kenney: Governor, you just talked about efficiency and accountability. Why give Adam Krupp a position and how do you hold him accountable if there’s no job description?

Governor: It’s easy to hold you accountable. He left because he had a personal issue.

Braun appointed Adam Krupp in January 2025. Krupp took a leave of absence for several months, from mid-January to mid-April 2026.

When Krupp returned, Braun appointed Jennifer Dorfmeyer to take over as DCS director and named Krupp as a special adviser on child welfare issues.

“If you’ve got somebody that did a good job and had an issue personally with it, I’m going to be one who gives you a second chance,” Braun said. “There’s a reservoir of experience there. Jennifer had done a great job in his absence.”

Krupp served as the Indiana Department of Revenue Commissioner under Governor Holcomb. He also previously worked as general counsel to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Krupp’s salary will remain at $210,000 in his newly appointed role – the same salary as new DCS Director Jennifer Dorfmeyer.

Dorfmeyer, appointed April 21, will lead the state’s third largest agency with more than 4,000 employees.

I-Team 8 asked the State Personnel Department for a job description for Krupp’s position, but SPD responded that one was not available.

“I’ll do like I’ve done over the years,” Braun told News 8. “You make good decisions. People stick with you. You’ll know what to pay them, you’ll know when it makes sense to do so.”

I-Team 8 was not able to ask any follow-up questions such as whether the position is permanent or temporary.

State Sen. Fady Qaddoura, D-Indianapolis, said the Governor owes the taxpayers an explanation.

“This position as a governor’s adviser never existed before for that specific role,” Qaddoura said. “It seems that this was a personal privilege that was afforded to a government employee that was not extended to others. That special treatment and favoritism is not something that I support.”

The DCS budget for fiscal year 2026 is $1.54 billion.

Under Krupp and the agency’s Project Awaken, dozens of DCS employees were terminated or reassigned citing ““operational efficiencies” and “restructuring of certain administrative functions and roles.”

“I find it extremely difficult to understand the logic behind creating additional layers of bureaucracy in state government, who are letting the frontline workers be either terminated or under invested in and underpaid and overworked,” Qaddoura said. “I would have been more in favor of using a quarter million dollars to hire three additional case managers that actually can oversee cases and reduce the workload and improve the quality and oversight of investigations that DCS performs.”

This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/news/i-team-8/governor-says-ex-dcs-directors-special-advisor-position-is-a-second-chance.