Connecticut Governor Says Others Paid for Work on Home

[joeybee12]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Governors-Home.html?hp


HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Gov. John G. Rowland changed his story Friday and acknowledged that friends -- including some under suspicion in a federal corruption investigation -- paid for work on his summer home.

Rowland's admission, released in a statement, came 10 days after he insisted he alone had paid for improvements on the house at Bantam Lake.

In the statement, the Republican governor said that while he paid for more than $30,000 in improvements to the cottage in Litchfield, friends, contractors and subcontractors also paid for some of the work.

Under state ethics laws, it is illegal for the governor to take any gifts worth more than $10 from people doing business, or seeking to do business, with the governor's office.

At least one of the contractors who worked on his home, the Tomasso Group, has numerous contracts with the state, but not the governor's office.

Rowland said none of those who helped pay for the improvements received any benefit from the state in exchange.

``Nor did they ask for any such benefit,'' he said. ``I am sure they were trying to help my family and did not expect that their assistance might someday embarrass them or me. I am grateful for their kindness, but am sorry for any appearance of impropriety that was created.''

[hedda_foil]

1. Please tell me he's a Republican.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

2. He is a Repuke, and an asshole to boot

[Democrats unite]

3. He is.

How's that for working together?

[joeybee12]

4. Rowland is the epitome of sleaze, but has been in power mainly

because the CT Dems mirror the national Dems--they lack a spine!

I'm willing to bet that this, like his other scandals, goes away very quickly.

[DemNoir]

5. Of course

The AP story does not mention he is a Republican. If he was a Dem it would be in the opening sentence.

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. The New York Times article said he was a Republican.

They also said that the Democrats were calling for his resignation.

[tlcandie]

8. Repuke quote in story...

<snip>
In the statement, the Republican governor said that while he paid for more than $30,000 in improvements to the cottage in Litchfield, friends, contractors and subcontractors also paid for some of the work.
<snip>


BOLD text added for emphasis

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. Telling quote - political graft committed by white politicians is not ...

...crime. At least not according to this attorney:

"`This whole business about the cottage and this whole investigation proves to me one thing: there are too many federal agents in Connecticut, there are too many federal prosecutors in Connecticut and too many reporters in Connecticut without enough real crime to cover,'' said Hugh Keefe, Ellef's attorney."

[Demonaut]

9. Caught with his pants down

LOL hope they burn this asshole

[UpInArms]

10. cry me a river, asshole (Rowland)

``Nor did they ask for any such benefit,'' he said. ``I am sure they were trying to help my family and did not expect that their assistance might someday embarrass them or me. I am grateful for their kindness, but am sorry for any appearance of impropriety that was created.''

So sorry that you're "embarrassed" by your lack of ethics.

[Throckmorton]

11. This is the second time he has taken illegal gifts.

In 1997 he was fined $2,000 for taking free tickets to a concert. BTW, I wonder, does he still beat his wife?

[Seldona]

12. Stick a fork in him. He is done.

Even other local Republicans are saying he may not be able to finish his term.

Anyone know if there is a Dem waiting in the wings to capitalize on this?

Let's hope so.

[Tuttle]

13. Bill Curry

Former Clinton (first term - I believe) chief of protocol spoke very eloquently on the local news after Rowland admited (in a statement) to have lied about work performed on the cottage. Curry was defeated by Rowland a couple of election cycles ago - I think he'd make a great governor.

Tut-tut

[nixonwasbetterthanW]

14. line of succession?

The "water rat" from Waterbury is drowning. This guy has oozed sleaze from the moment he set his greasy paws on the doorknob of the governor's mansion. It seems pretty obvious from the Times story what he instructed to his aides -- "Hey, gimme a flagstone patio and maybe I'll bump up your salary next year!" It's graft of the most insidious nature: the naked purchase of top positions in the state executive's personal office.

The Enron link still fascinates ... would be great if more can be dug up.

Does anyone know whether there's a lieutenant governor to step in to scrub away the graft?

[Tuttle]

23. Jodi Rell is lt. gov.

so far, her son has been implicated in the 'possession' of a stolen jet ski -- not sure the outcome of that, but worth mentioning (I believe there was some shake-up at the DEP over the arresting officers, who were Enviromental Enforcement Officials - somehow different than Law Enforcement Officials??? Sort of like you or I are different from the son/daughter of a famous politician when caught on the wrong side of the law...)

And Rowland's step-son was nabbed in a motel raid where there was coke and reefer (allegedly). Neither John or his trophy wife showed up at the hearing this past week - judge ordered drug counselling (see above statement of fuzzy clarification).

Tut-tut

[Tansy_Gold]

15. I can't remember the last time. . . . .

. . . . a contractor just showed up at my house and donated their time and materials "to help my family." And I'm not an effing governor, who makes sufficient income to take care of his family without "help."

What gets me is that people like Rowland truly believe that the rest of us, in CT or CA or AZ, will fall for this bullshit.

Contractors, like other businesspeople, don't do nothin' for free without expectin' SOMETHING in return. . . .

Tansy Gold, the vicious cynic

[zls44]

16. New London Day: RESIGN!

Another paper wants his head too. This thing is great:

http://www.newlondonday.com/eng/web/newstand/re.aspx?reIDx=B5A47129-D1C9-4BCC-9841-FDFAF3A5EA65
-snip-

Resign, Gov. Rowland

Gov. John G. Rowland should resign. He has disgraced himself, his office and the countless citizens of the state who trusted him and elected him three times.

The Day has no idea where the ongoing federal corruption investigation will lead. But Gov. Rowland's inability to distinguish right from wrong in merging his political life with financial matters in his personal life, and his deceitfulness about the facts mean he can't be trusted.

-snip-

PREACH ON!

The brilliance about Bill Curry is that he has EVERY RIGHT to say I told ya so to CT voters, because he called this back when Enron went bust. Sadly, he had terrible organization for his campaign, but he's been very eloquent about this situation, which makes Johnny Boy only look worse.

I will miss Bob Engleheart's cartoons of him.

[zls44]

17. "Rowland can do state one more service: QUIT"

From the Manchester Journal-Inquirer, and note that the PAPER put in the italics, not me:

-snip-

Rowland's honor, credibility, and ability to lead have been destroyed. It now will be a struggle for anyone involved with Connecticut's public life even to look him in the eye. He could not look the state in the eye when admitting his lies Friday; he hid in the Executive Residence and conveyed his statement silently in writing. Since the federal investigation continues and is expected to produce indictments of members of his administration soon, as a practical matter it may be all the governor
can do for the indefinite future to avoid indictment and conviction himself, never mind function as chief executive of the state administration.

-snip-

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=10657611&BRD=985&PAG=461&dept_id=161559&rfi=6

Nananana...hey hey hey...goodbye...

[sendero]

20. I'm not so....

... sure they really think we will fall for it, it's just that they hope we will. They've been caught red-handed and there is a limited amount of spin you can put on that. :)

[Don_G]

18. Isn't This The Third Or Fourth Time

He's been caught with his hand in the till? He needs to go and soon!

[zls44]

19. Or fifth or sixth

He's been doing this since 1995. NINETEEN NINETY-FIVE!

SOMEHOW...this guy is bulletproof, it seems.


Let's recap. He:

1. Lost us the Whalers, but suddenly the cash TIMES THREE showed up to build the Patriots a ridiculously planned stadium months later.

2. Used the CT National Guard supply house as a shopping mall for his family. Nice pics of his kids in National Guard camo. Really hurts when you consider how little equipment our REAL SOLDIERS have in Iraq and Afghanistan.

3. Used the state GOP credit card for personal spending.

4. Has been fined in excess of $16,000 by state ethics comittiees for working with the Tomasso family using kickbacks for work done on his cottage, among other personal works.

5. Had his former State Treasurer and best bud go to prison for racketeering and money laundering from state investment funds to fund his UNSUCESSFUL campaign for another term as state treasurer.

6. Refused to let an independant panel investigate the board which managed the state's dealings with Enron. CT had a bigtime deal (over $100 million?) to burn trash for energy, and worked closely with Enron. He just so happened to have appointed a whole slew of members to said board.

And I KNOW there's more. Besides being a lying, cheating, scumbag.

[kaybea]

22. Bulletproof, yes

Well you see he is a Republican. They don't do wrong things. Wrong things just happen around them.

Sometimes they're 'out of the loop'; why, sometimes in their total innocence, a cadre of Thai whores will just come along and beat down their door, eager for sex.

What's a bastion of integrity to do??

Republicans are only sullied because they have to live in the same world with all of us bad people.

Don't you just feel for them? That's what compassionate conservatism is--show some compassion for a fuckstick conservative today! You'll be a true patriot if you do.

[nixonwasbetterthanW]

21. look at Rowland's press release; no real contrition!

Rowland is basically saying that he's sorry he got caught.

In his press release:

1.) he provides no figures as to the value of the gifts;

2.) he makes it appear that the gifts were just that (can anyone out there name me another governor whose top aides provided him/her with multi-thousand-dollar vacation home improvements and, if they did, it was done out of the goodness of their hearts?);

3.) he claims that he's been giving the info "voluntarily" to the federal prosecutors (does anyone think "voluntarily" means anything more than staying just one step ahead of the warrant servers?)

4.) he argues that there was "no exchange" of services ... he sidesteps the very real issue of mere appearances ("hey, feds, catch me in an audiotape tit-for-tat ... you guys can't prove it!")

[mobuto]

24. Les jeux sont fait

Translation: Your ass is mine.

Rowland's going down. This latest scandal put the nail in his coffin. He's going to be indicted soon by federal prosecutors, and that'll be the last we ever hear of the Gov'nor, unless it turns out he's been paying a prostitute crack to let him bone her prepubescent daughters, in which case his demise just might make the national media.

Connecticut, Connecticut...