Governor picks Sarah Karwan as legal counsel.

Sarah Karwan, currently serving as Counsel to the Commissioner at Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP), is expected to be named Governor Ned Lamont’s legal counsel this week. She will succeed Natalie Braswell, who Lamont recently appointed the Interim Chancellor of the troubled Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) public higher education system.

Karwan is a former federal prosecutor. She rose to Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in the District of Connecticut office. She joined DESPP in 2023. In a profile of Commissioner Ronnell Higgins, CT Public described Karwan is a former federal prosecutor. She rose to Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in the District of Connecticut office. She joined DESPP in 2023. In a profile of Commissioner Ronnell A. Higgins, CT Public described Karwan’s role as assisting “the State Police with professional standards, internal affairs and relations with prosecutors. Karwan has had three eventful years in that job.

Natalie Wagner has briefly stated in as legal counsel since Braswell left for CSCU.

Braswell’s public service at CSCU is a significant deposit in Lamont’s favor bank. A $400,000 report on public higher education best practices is due this month from former Chancellor Terrence Cheng. In addition, Braswell will need to managed the sexual harassment accusations that caused her predecessor, Dr. John Maduko, to resign in April. CSCU leadership’s handling of the accusations against Maduko is the subject of an independent investigation that will also fall to Braswell to implement.

Published June 14, 2026.