Plunder Patrol: Stewart sought $205,000 payout for 12 years of vacation, sick and personal days. Christmas was “working day.” Human resources director felt coerced to approve.

Erin Stewart, the besieged six-term former mayor of New Britain, requested a $205,000 payout from the city as she prepared to leave office at the end of the year, according to a report released Thursday by Mayor Bobby Sanchez’s administration. The investigation, conducted by the Crumbie Law Firm, found that made the request of the city’s human resources office last summer and was based on Stewart’s own calculations.

Stewart’s intention was to submit her request at the start of Fiscal Year 2026, which was on July 1, 2025, “to provide the finance department with sufficient time to plan for the payout request,” the report states. As mayor, Stewart was not entitled to the money she requested because as an elected official, she was not required to keep track of their time and are permitted to make their own work schedule.

Stewart appears to have calculated that she was always working. Her initial request acknowledged no sick days in her 12-year run as a popular mayor. The city’s human resources director, Linda Guard, who was handed the headache of upholding the city’s compensation rules and managing the rapacious mayor, pointed out to Stewart that she had taken maternity leave for the birth of each of her two children and also for an instance when she underwent surgery.

The request came as Stewart was exploring a race for the Republican nomination for governor. Stewart sought 240 unused vacation days ($92,135.28), 78 unused personal days ($37,739.68), 126 unused holiday ($54,502.56), and 92 sick days ($24,201.73). She also included in her request $900.00 for a longevity payment.

A week after making her initial request, Stewart revised her demand downward in the face of some internal resistance. Her second request included a July 10th payment of $93,008.18 and $57,941.41 to be paid in 20 weekly installments of $2,897.07, beginning on November 12th. Sanchez halted the payments in February–after 10 had been made.

The report notes that Guard was surprised to be summoned to Stewart’s office to sign a document setting forth the payments. It states, “Not only was Ms. Guard surprised at being instructed to execute a letter she knew to be factually inaccurate but she was stunned at being pressured to sign it under circumstances she experienced as coercive.”

Stewart’s actions, the report concludes, “raise concerns that extend well beyond administrative misconduct and and may expose Ms. Stewart, and other individuals involved, to significant civil and criminal liability under both state and federal law.”

Published June 4, 2026.