Herbst Responds. Dons the Attire of a Victim. Blames Malloy.

Trumbull First Selectman responds to this post and this lawsuit with a statement provided by one of his lawyers, Vincent M. Marino, whose name appears on the Trumbull website as a town attorney. Mr. Marino writes that he is not acting as a town attorney in his representation of Herbst.

The statement:

“It’s no surprise that the personal attacks are coming this early from Governor Malloy’s Hartford insider allies and the Connecticut Democratic Party.  Rather than debate the issues, the modus operandi of Malloy’s gang is to respond to all criticism of their job-crushing, fiscally ruinous record and policies with personal attacks and political smears.   In all of my years in public service I have always maintained that families are off-limits.  Politicizing personal family matters should be beneath even them — sadly it is not.

As Trumbull’s Chief Executive, I took an oath of office to uphold the laws and ordinances of the Town of Trumbull – – including our Code of Ethics.  The simple fact of the matter is that I took action to prevent a potentially unethical situation from developing. I follow the Code of Ethics just like any other official or employee.  I stick to that code even when it may be uncomfortable and regardless of whether family is involved.

Most of the Connecticut press corps has typically left family out of politics as a matter of decency.  Governor Malloy has been accorded that respect with the multiple issues associated with his children.  I would hope that would be the case for the governor’s critics as well.”

NOTE: Herbst is the defendant in the action. No other member of his family is a party to the action.