The lesson of Connecticut’s unclaimed property saga is clear: a trusting, incurious press fosters bad government, while a skeptical, challenging press fosters good government.

Should the state seize money belonging to Girl Scouts, without their knowledge, and give it to politicians to fund their campaigns? What about money from animal shelters, volunteer fire departments, the Red Cross, or other charities? How about all of those plus countless businesses and individuals — and maybe you? That’s happening and it’s disgraceful.