What a difference audits and reviews of CSCU Chancellor Terrence Cheng’s promiscuous use of his student and public financed expense account make. A day after the CT State College Senate adopted a motion of “no confidence” in Cheng, the head of the 85,000 student higher education system drove himself to a legislative breakfast at Northwestern, formerly known as Northwestern Connecticut Community College, in Winsted.

In October, Hearst investigative reporter Jacqueline Rabe Thomas found Cheng “had expensed chauffeured despite being provided a state car, charged for pricey meals with other state employees, and collected a $2,100 monthly housing allowance while living in a New York town just across Connecticut’s border.” A review of spending by State Comptroller Sean Scanlon’s office found “troubling” expenses charged to Cheng’s expense account. State auditors found that while Cheng received a generous housing allowance to live in Connecticut he continued to live in New York. Cheng also receives a car allowance, though he also spent system funds on a chauffeur.

Cheng, whose contract ends next year, will find it difficult to make the case to legislators that they should once again contest Governor Ned Lamont’s allocation to CSCU in his budget proposal. Lamont rebuked Cheng in his Wednesday budget address, noting, higher education “should not be immune to reform and CT State in particular must reimagine how we tain our workforce for 21st century jobs.” Lamont added “student population is down 30% is down 30%, most students don’t graduate, and costs keep escalating.”

On Friday, Sen. Minority Leader Stephen Harding and House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora praised the CT State College Senate for its call to change the CSCU leadership. The two Republicans had to tread carefully on their criticism of Lamont and CSCU Regents for allowing Cheng to continue leading the system. They criticized Lamont and “most Regents” for standing by Cheng. The “most” is meant to suggest that Regent Erin Stewart, a Republican exploring a 2026 bid for governor, has called for Cheng’s resignation, which Stewart says she has. Stewart was critical of Cheng’s penchant for secrecy and successfully argued for changes when Lamont appointed a new chairman of the Regents.

Published February 7, 2025.

Commissioner Daniel O’Keefe of the Department of Economic and Community Development posted an endorsement on his LinkedIn account of a software company in which he is an investor. O’Keefe identifies himself on LinkedIn as commissioner and the state’s Chief Innovation Officer.

Daily Ructions asked O’Keefe if he had sought and obtained an opinion from the state’s ethics agency before posting the endorsement of Roam (or Ro.am).

Here, in bold and in part, is his reply:

Yes – I am an investor in Roam, as well as a number of other companies (my background prior to state service was a technology investor). All are, of course, disclosed to state ethics in my financial disclosures.

I did not seek an opinion from ethics specific to the below post. When I joined the administration, I did seek an opinion as to my (passive) involvement with those companies generally (including Roam), and was advised that (1) I cannot be paid by any of those companies (I am not) and (2) if any have business in front of the state I need to recuse myself (none do, and I would if they did). I did not ask for an opinion specific to social media posts, but did just now after receiving your email, as well as to whether any further disclosures needed if I do post about a company.

While I await that, I’ve deleted the post, and publicly disclosed that I’ve done so. Because I think you are right – while in that moment in my head I was posting as an individual (I’ve been active on LinkedIn since its founding), the reality is my title is right there, and it can’t look like I’m supporting something in my official role if I am not. While I’m curious what the above opinion ultimately suggests, regardless I don’t plan to post about companies I am invested in anymore.

I appreciate what you do, as it makes those of us in service better, and I’ll do better.

Some public officials, too many, immediately take an adversarial position when asked about obvious errors. They stonewall or escalate. Instead, they ought to adopt the O’Keefe method. Stop relying on spokesmen and give a candid answer to simple questions.

Published February 7, 2025.

“Any matter coming before the authority may be assigned by the chairperson to [a panel of three] one or more utility commissioners.”

It is not the usual place to discover an admission against interest in high stakes litigation, but there it is in Raised Bill 1193 from the General Assembly’s energy committee. The committee bill, An Act Concerning the Composition of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), seeks to fix the mess that the husbanding of authority in its chair has caused ratepayers and utilities.

The issue of dockets decided by one member of PURA is the subject of litigation brought by utilities Eversource and Avangrid. If a court adopts the plain meaning of the law, PURA will suffer a humiliating loss. Raised Bill 1193 suggests PURA chair Marissa Gillett and her dwindling number of friends at the legislature have blotted their copy by seeking to make the plaintiffs’ point for them. And if once is not enough, a second bill, 1194, does the same.

If one member of PURA had the authority to make decisions, there would be no need for 1193. But there it is: headed for public hearing tomorrow, February 4th.

The lawsuit was dismissed by state Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex), Senate co-chair of the energy committee, as “frivolous.” This is reckless and beneath the dignity of Needleman. Plaintiff lawyers Thomas J. Murphy and James J. Healey are widely recognized as among the state’s most talented. If anyone needs proof of this consensus, read the transcripts of Healey deposing a Department of Public Health official in the grim Stone Academy litigation.

Published February 3, 2025.

Westport First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker is preparing to seek the Republican nomination for governor, Daily Ructions has learned. Tooker has been a steady winner in vote-rich Fairfield County as fellow Republicans have been knocked over like ninepins since 2017.

Tooker has held on in Westport as the once reliably Republican town has become a Democratic stronghold, demonstrating cross-party appeal that is essential for any Republican to have a chance in a statewide contest. No Republican has won a statewide Connecticut election since incumbent Jodi Rell’s historic 2006 victory for a full term as governor.

Tooker will face Erin Stewart, the Republican mayor of New Britain serving her sixth and final term. Stewart on Tuesday announced to a gathering of well wishers that she intends to explore a race for governor. The early going will be the contest to raise $350,000 in small donations. This is always harder than it looks and requires a high tolerance for drudgery. Stewart learned in 2018 how difficult it was to raise $250,000 in qualifying contributions that a candidate for governor needed that year. She made a convention eve switch to the race for lieutenant governor, losing the convention endorsement and primary to Southington Republican Joe Markley.

Former volunteer soccer coach Tooker enjoys a loyal cadre of supporters in Westport, a town thick with campaign givers. Her husband, Mo, is connected in state business circles, though it can be difficult to squeeze even a few bucks out of the state’s politically timid corporate community. The state’s University of Notre Dame graduates may also pony up for fellow alum Tooker.

Four of the state’s five most recent governors have been from Fairfield County.

Both Stewart and Tooker will need to steer clear of soliciting local contractors for campaign dough. Republican Matthew Corey, a frequent candidate for high office, is also considering joining the race for governor.

The first campaign finance reports are due in April. The math tells the tale, as does a candidate’s array of ideas to share at local party committee meetings, where the questions can be unexpectedly penetrating.

Published January 28, 2025.

Erin Stewart has filed an exploratory committee for statewide office, expected to be a bid for governor in 2026.

Stewart, serving her 6th term as the Republican mayor of New Britain, will mark the beginning of the race as the keynote speaker at Thursday’s Grassroots East dinner.

The 39 year old New Britain native is the early frontrunner in the open race for the Republican nomination for governor. Stewart made unsuccessful runs for governor and lieutenant governor in 2018.

Party stalwart Val Marino of Waterbury is the Stewart committee’s treasurer.

Published January 23, 2025.

Governor Ned Lamont is expected to appoint Appellate Court Chief Judge William H. Bright, Jr., to the State Supreme Court, ending months of speculation.

Bright was a contender for the high court’s top spot. The competition to become Chief Justice became intense after Richard Robinson announced his intention to retire last summer. Lamont chose a member of the Supreme Court, Raheem L. Mullins, to serve as Chief Justice. Lamont announced his choice of Justice Mullins in early September and then left a seat on the Court vacant for nearly five months.

Judge Bright will be a popular choice among other judges and many lawyers.

Superior Court Judge Robin Wilson is the leading contender to fill Bright’s vacancy on the Appellate Court.

Published January 20, 2025.

Manchester’s Jerald Lentini is fighting for sunlight. Lentini is one of two lead plaintiffs seeking the murky “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) to comply with the rules that apply to all federal advisory agencies. Transparency will likely be an obstacle in the incoming Trump administration as it begins its mission of retribution. The lawsuit is expected to be filed shortly after noon on Monday.

The Washington Post reported Monday morning:

The DOGE lawsuit lists as its primary co-plaintiffs Jerald Lentini, a local elected official in Connecticut and an attorney for National Security Counselors who sent an application to join Musk’s group, and Joshua Erlich, who owns an employment law firm that regularly represents federal employees. Erlich also filed an application to join DOGE, which stated he was applying because the body “does not currently have an individual who will speak on behalf of government workers and their interests,” the lawsuit states. Both applications were ignored.

The transparency rules that apply to federal advisory committees are determined by what they do, not what they say they do.

Lentini is one of nine members, including the mayor, serving on Manchester’s Board of Directors.

Published January 20, 2025.

State Trooper Timothy Haroian “has been placed on administrative duty with an internal affairs investigation pending.” Troopers were notified Friday afternoon that Haroian’s police powers are suspended.

Haroian was until yesterday the school resources officer at Vinal Technical High School, a state vocational school in Middletown. The suspension and Haroian’s assignment at the high school is raising concerns about the cause of his suspension. The Vinal school community will need to know more than it has been told since the dramatic reassignment on Thursday.

Earlier today, Connecticut State Police Media Relations Unit told Daily Ructions in response to an inquiry about Haroian’s status that “our office has not been made aware of any action beyond a temporary re-assignment to Troop F at this time. We can confirm that this re-assignment occurred yesterday, 1/16/25.”

A spokesman for the State Police wrote to Daily Ructions that “this is a very serious matter.”

Trooper Haroian’s wife sued him for dissolution of their marriage earlier this month.

Published January 17, 2025.

Well, this is embarrassing. Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas incorrectly stated the oath of office when she administered it to members of the Senate on January 8th.

Members are making their way to Thomas’s office by the Hall of Flags Thursday afternoon to have the proper oath administered by Thomas. The error has raised doubts that the joint rules were properly adopted and committees legitimately organized in the past eight days.

The oath does not change from term to term. The popular Thomas has people. This was an easily avoidable mistake. That oath must be needlepointed on a pillow somewhere in the SOTS office or in one of the many offices senators enjoy in the Capitol and Legislative Office Building.

Published January 16, 2025.

David Collins explains in The Day how the closed system of filling legislative vacancies will work in replacing Christine Conley, the Groton Democrat from the 40th House District. Conley asked voters to re-elect her in November but decided soon after she’d rather not represent Groton and part of New London, after all. She will instead become a Workers’ Compensation Commissioner.

Tonight, the 11 Democrats who nominated Conley last spring will convene to choose a nominee for the February special election. Groton has eight delegates, New London three. As of Wednesday evening there was no consensus on a candidate. Former Groton mayor Juan Melendez and Groton council member Dan Gaiewski, who is a Conley loyalist are vying for the nomination in the Democratic-leaning district.

Melendez seems like the obvious choice but experience and other virtues are not always persuasive when 11 politicos gather to pick a candidate.

There is an intentional democracy deficit in choosing candidates for a special election. Connecticut is among the states with the worst ballot access laws in the nation. For legislative special elections, there are no primaries. Legislative leaders, who do not like primaries, would argue that the compressed schedule for a special election at the start of a legislative session is necessary for the residents of a district to be represented in this regular session of the legislature. There is an alternative. Parties could hold daylong votes at one polling place in each town in the district for party members to cast a ballot for any qualified candidate. In the 40th that would certainly attract more than 11 local Democrats.

Republicans are expected to nominate Robert Boris. The Groton Republican lost in a House race in the 41st House District in 2022. He was defeated by Democrat Aundre Bumgardner by a wide margin, 6,538 to 3,841.

Published January 16, 2025.