Posted on 12/13/2003 7:53:35 AM PST by Rodney King
Rowland switches stories Apologizes for misleading claims This is the first in a two-part series about the ethical woes of Gov. John G. Rowland. Coming Sunday: Legislature is likely to rewrite the 1997 gift regulation that allowed Rowland to get help from
Gov. John G. Rowland admitted Friday that he misled the public about who paid for thousands of dollars of improvements to his lakeside home in Litchfield.
He apologized to "the citizens of Connecticut" and said he intends to complete the last three years of his third four-year term.
In a string of revelatory details, the embattled Republican governor announced that state employees, subordinates in the Capitol and owners of a controversial New Britain construction company paid for much of the work, dating back to 1997.
Rowland's admission came 10 days after he insisted he alone had paid for improvements on the house at Bantam Lake.
The backtracking brought immediate calls for Rowland's resignation from political foes and concern that the scandal might widen.
Rowland, 46, has not been charged with any crimes. However, some of his revelations sound similar to the kinds of activities that landed former Bridgeport Mayor Joseph P. Ganim in the middle of a corruption investigation. Ganim is now serving nine years in federal prison. Shortly after Ganim's October 2001 federal indictment, Rowland called for Ganim's resignation.
But most of the work done on Rowland's 1,200-square-foot lakeside retreat is apparently legal under a 1997 revision to state ethics rules that allows the governor and other state officials to accept gifts from employees and friends who don't do business with his office.
Rowland denied that any of the renovations and improvements were done in exchange for state business. "I'm sure they were trying to help my family and did not expect that their assistance might someday embarrass them or me," Rowland said.
According to state ethics laws, which have a three-year statute of limitations, it is illegal for the governor to take gifts worth more than $10 from people doing or seeking to do business with the governor's office.
Although at least one of those contractors, the Tomasso Group, has numerous state contracts, none are with the governor's office.
Federal authorities are investigating Tomasso regarding the award of state contracts, including a long-delayed juvenile court and detention center in Bridgeport.
Rowland's late-afternoon release of about 50 pages of invoices, building plans and $33,195 in canceled checks hit the Capitol like a late-fall thunderstorm, stunning Republicans and Democrats alike, and
for the first time
calling into question whether he'll be able to remain viable as a statewide leader.
"In the limited, spontaneous remarks I made about the cottage and repairs, I provided information that was incorrect and incomplete," Rowland said in a written statement, referring to a news conference last week in which he misled reporters on several issues. "I regret doing this and I'm sorry I did this."
The release of new information shows that:
l a former high-ranking state Department of Public Works official, P.J. Delahunty, paid members of his family, who own a construction business, to install a new ceiling in 1997.
l a company owned by the Tomasso Group of New Britain performed exterior work, including new gutters and a drainage system, in 1999.
l also in 1999, Peter N. Ellef, Rowland's chief of staff, and Lawrence Alibozek, deputy chief of staff
who this year pleaded guilty in federal court to steering contracts in exchange for gold and cash
paid for a water heater and other heating improvements. Rowland said Ellef's and Alibozek's wives contributed to the work.
Rowland declined to provide further information or comments Friday, citing an active federal investigation.
In September, Rowland wrote a $5,184.55 check for rewiring the cottage, located at 37 Van Winkle Drive in Litchfield, and paid $3,363.71 for landscaping work. Those checks covered work that had been done nearly six years earlier.
Brenda M. Bergeron, an attorney for the State Ethics Commission, would not comment on Rowland's statements. The ethics board supervised Rowland's recent reimbursement of thousands of dollars for accepting vacations at Tomasso-owned homes in Florida and Vermont.
Rowland's announcement prompted immediate calls for his resignation.
"For the best interest of the state, it is now time for John Rowland to resign and free the state from his administration's cloud of corruption," said the Connecticut Citizen Action Group, a liberal nonprofit watchdog organization.
Bill Curry, a Democrat who lost the 2002 governor's race to Rowland, also called on Rowland to resign.
"This is a man who lies compulsively, casually, over matters large and small," Curry said outside the Capitol Friday evening.
House Majority Leader James A. Amann, D-Milford, said Rowland's admission "raises the real question of whether John Rowland is in the position to govern our state any longer." But he stopped short of asking for the governor's abdication. Speaker of the House Moira K. Lyons, D-Stamford, issued a similar statement.
As appears to be the governor's usual habit for releasing bad news, he waited until late in the afternoon Friday.
"In 1997 my wife and I purchased a small cottage on Bantam Lake in Litchfield," Rowland began in his historic statement. "We began repairs and renovations. This work was done by me and my family, by professional contractors and subcontractors and by friends."
Rowland described a Dec. 2 news conference in Waterbury as "limited, spontaneous" when he misled reporters on who paid for a waterside hot tub at the cottage (a worker in his office) and who built custom-made kitchen cabinets. At the time he described the cabinets as off-the-shelf from Home Depot.
"I apologize to the Capitol press corps, which deserves forthright information," Rowland said. "But more importantly, I apologize to the citizens of Connecticut, whose trust and respect I prize above all else."
Rowland, a close friend of President Bush's family, whose future was once bright and potentially national in scope, may be seriously wounded by the admission.
Curry, a harsh, longtime political foe and critic of Rowland, told reporters that he believes the governor "is too brazen" to resign from office.
Amann called Rowland's announcement "serious and disturbing" while underscoring the need for investigators to delve further into the details.
"The governor's latest statement, along with the other allegations that have been made against this administration, raises the real question of whether John Rowland is in the position to govern our state any longer," Amann said.
Patrick Scully, spokesman for majority Senate Democrats, said the caucus will meet over the weekend to discuss the issues.
"Obviously it's a very troubling and disturbing day," Scully said. "Suffice it to say that in the latest development, in a series of troubling developments, the governor has by his own admission made misstatements about the situation and he has now admitted that he has taken free business services for the renovation of his cottage."
Lyons agreed the announcement was "disturbing," but said it contained inadequate answers. She hopes the federal investigation can proceed quickly.
Lyons said she has "serious doubts" about Rowland's ability to focus on his job under the circumstances.
Deputy Senate Minority Leader William A. Aniskovich, R-Branford, said the governor's revelations mean that he can start to get it behind him and get back to governing.
"I am happy that the governor has decided on his own volition to supply this information to the press and the U.S. Attorney's Office," Aniskovich said in an interview. "In his statement he was aware of an appearance of impropriety and he apologized for that. We ought to take it on face value that he regretted the previous statements."
Ken Dixon, who covers the Capitol, can be reached at (860) 549-4670.
Never mind Republican Don Sundquist trying to create an income tax and raise total taxes about 15% in Tennessee (while his Democrat successor just cut state budgets 9%). Or Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, who told his citizens that God wanted them to pay more taxes. Or Senator McCain, who was the leading force behind the greatest assault on free speech this country has ever seen. And of course, the guy in the article, who turns out to be just another sordid example of how power corrupts.
No, the party faithful keep telling us that folks like the above are the lessor of two evils, because those Democrats are soul-stealing, tax-raising, big-government-increasing, corrupt devils from Hades. The guys above may be evil, but by golly, they're our evil guys! Fight, fight, fight, go team!
Wake up, folks! Both parties are after our money and our freedom. And it will stay that way until we hold them accountable. And you can't hold anyone accountable with unconditional support.
Thanks for the ping Race. Will you be at the 12/28 party in NYC?
Different rules for different fools.
Glad to hear the good job news.
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