Tick Tock. The Sun Sets on Two Foley Charges Without Proof.

The day ends with Republican gubernatorial hopeful Tom Foley failing to present any evidence in support of his explosive claims that Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commission Daniel Esty paid Governor Dannel P. Malloy during the 2010 race for governor and that municipalities are muscled into hiring a favored Malloy law firm in exchange for state bond funds. Foley leveled the charges against Malloy during an interview with Dennis House on WFSB’s “Face the State.”

I sent an email to Foley shortly after his WFSB interview concluded this morning. There’s been no response.

This is an odd turn early in the 2014 race that could be decisive. Foley’s delivery of the allegations was not smooth. The former ambassador to Ireland brought a halting manner to his performance, seeming not as conversant with his subject matter as its gravity requires.

The Malloy administration provided a curious response:

STATEMENT FROM ANDREW DOBA, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR GOVERNOR MALLOY

(Hartford, CT) – Andrew Doba, Director of Communications for Governor Dannel P. Malloy, today issued the following statement regarding accusations made by Tom Foley during an interview on Face the State.

“Mr. Foley’s allegations are factually incorrect.  The reason he can’t back them up is because they’re untrue.  Mr. Foley owes everyone to whom he referred an immediate apology.”

Not all of Foley’s allegations are incorrect. Malloy did use thousands from the University of Connecticut Foundation to attend the ego stroking talkfest in Davos, Switzerland, an extravagance outside the traditional purpose of the foundation. Malloy advisor Roy Occhiogrosso is an employee of the company that has a contract with the agency overseeing the state’s new health exchange. That has bad a look to it.