Public defenders wishing for some relief for Christmas had their hopes raised with agenda of the Public Defender Commission’s December 19th special meeting. The commission consider only personnel matters. That ominous item will likely be discussed by a commission increasingly dismayed by Chief Public Defender TaShun Bowden-Lewis’s leadership.

The one-item agenda means there will be no time reserved for public participation, which has become an acrimonious curtain raiser for monthly meetings.

Published December 18, 2023.

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Another grim day for the state’s public defender agency. An investigation of complaints by a current employee and a former one paints a troubling picture of life in the Division of Public Defender Services. The investigation, conducted by the Shipman & Goodwin law firm, “revealed serious, specific concerns, consistently stated by several witnesses, pertaining to [Chief Public Defender] TaShun Bowden Lewis’ management style, allocation of resources, and general treatment of fellow employees and Commission members,” Daily Ructions has learned.

The report, commissioned early this year by the Public Defender Services Commission, found in interviews conducted between March 6, 2023 and October 4, 2023, that “Ms. Bowden-Lewis would often bully or marginalize employees who she did not favor or who questioned her in any way.” It continues, “Indeed, on several occasions, we determined that if an employee was viewed as ‘disloyal’ or on her ‘bad side,’ Ms. Bowden-Lewis would take steps to ensure that the employee remained that way.”

Though the report verifies astonishing behavior, it concludes that it did not arise to the level of “discrimination, harassment, or an illegal ‘hostile work environment’ under the applicable Connecticut or federal statues.”

Investigators did determine “that Bowden-Lewis has made decisions about the distribution of resources in various offices at least in part based on perceived loyalty to her, and has denied resources to office heads who questioned Ms. Bowden-Lewis’s decisions.” This conclusion will do the most serious and lasting damage to the reputation of the agency and the confidence of its thousands of indigent clients.

The investigation also concludes that some of Bowden-Lewis’s denial of additional attorneys to several offices that requested them “was also fueled by her desire to save the funding from those positions for the new Public Relations unit that she has pushed to create….”

The December 1st report, provide to the commission 4 days before its December meeting, addresses only two complaints, filed by employees before all but one of the members of the Commission resigned in March and were replaced shortly after by members now serving. The Commission’s current members have endured considerable conflict with Bowden-Lewis.

The Division of Public Defender Services does have a new logo, a top Bowden-Lewis priority.

Updates as events require.

Published December 15, 2023.

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Connecticut State Police union leaders sent a message to members this week alerting them to the escalating United States Department of Transportation investigation into thousands of unexplained motor vehicle tickets issued by troopers on patrol shifts. The message, exclusively obtained by Daily Ructions, warns members that the DOT is engaged in a criminal investigation and they “cannot be compelled to cooperate or answer questions.” It may, however, be in a member’s interest to cooperate with investigators and provide answers to questions. What possible reason could a union member have for not sharing information if this all a lot of talk about nothing, as union leaders have seemed to suggest?

Union leadership appears to want to keep close tabs on the investigation and is offering to assist anyone contacted for a DOT investigation interview. Those interviews are likely to begin, according to the message (posted below) in mid-January or early February.

Union members should also be aware that they are under no obligation to inform union leaders if they have been contacted by DOT investigators or, if interviewed, the substance of the meeting. Union members may want to secure their own independent legal representation and remember that a member’s interests may not be the same as union leaders’ interest in the course of a criminal probe.

Here is the message to members:

Yesterday, the Union was informed that some members have been contacted by a USDOT investigator, who is part of the team conducting the federal investigation related to potential fraud involving motor vehicle enforcement activity. As a reminder, this is a criminal investigation and unlike the current administrative investigations being conducted by the employer, you cannot be compelled to cooperate or answer questions.

Regardless, on behalf of President Fedigan and the Executive Committee, we are contacting you to inform you the Union leadership will be voting on the issue on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, and will likely be offering legal representation for these interviews.

Today, I spoke with the chief prosecutor assigned to the investigation and discussed several topics related to the investigation. The interviews are not likely to occur until mid-January or early February 2024. If you have been contacted by a federal investigator and would like to be represented during the investigative interviews, please contact us immediately to discuss your rights and a plan moving forward. Furthermore, next week we will be scheduling individual private (in-person) meetings to discuss your specific case.

If you have any questions related to this message, you may contact me at XXX-XXX-XXXX and/or amatthews@xxx.xxx or President Todd Fedigan at xxx-xxx-xxxx and/or tfedigan@xxx.xxx Please confirm receipt of this message and whether you will be needing legal representation or just want to confidentially discuss concerns.

The Lamont administration is conducting the administrative investigation referred to in the union leadership’s message to members.

Published December 14, 2023.

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Even veteran members of the State Police force are agog at K-9 officer Bruce LaChance’s 2023 overtime. The 15-year Trooper First Class has made $282,506 in overtime so far this year. That’s in addition to his projected salary of $106,000, according to the state’s Open Payroll website. LaChance’s total pay this year is $422,040. That’s an increase from last year’s $229,208 in overtime, which was 64% of his total pay of $356,648.

Governor Ned Lamont has had no success getting state police overtime costs under control. The LaChance example also raises urgent safety issues. How can a trooper work that many hours and remain effective?

In a separate development, two high-ranking civilian officials in the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection were suspended from their positions Wednesday. DESPP did not release details. CTInsider.com, which has five reporters on the story, reported the suspensions were unrelated to the continuing investigation into thousands of fake traffic tickets that came to light earlier this year.

Daily Ructions has learned the cause of the suspensions will likely add to the problems the fractious agency’s new commissioner, Ronnell Higgins, who begins his tenure with high hopes that he will be able to solve the accumulating challenges to DESPP’s ability to carry out its responsibilities to the public.

Published December 14, 2023.

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Twenty years after his conviction for sexually abusing 9- and 11-year-old girls, Philip Giordano, the former mayor of Waterbury, has lost another round in his attempt to get out of federal prison. Today the Second Circuit Court of Appeals reject Giordano’s appeal of a U.S. District Court Judge Stefan Underhill’s denial of Giordano’s bid for release.

Judge Underhill noted in his 2022 decision that the good works Giordano claimed to be performing in prison included details the 2000 Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate omitted. Giordano, the judge pointed out “had been disciplined for taking money from prisoners in exchange for legal work,” according to a WTNH report.

The appellate court noted in its decision released today noted that Judge Underhill did not abuse his discretion to in denying Giordano’s claim that “severe health concerns, his age, rehabilitation, [and] family circumstances” should compel his release 20 years into his 37-year sentence. Giordano also complained about the length of his sentence.

The Giordano case shocked the state when details of his chilling predatory behavior became public during his 2003 trial. They have lost none of their power.

Published December 13, 2023.

“Nobody ever wins the Games. Period.” Employees of the Office of the Attorney General will be pitted against one another in a live auction at their annual holiday party. The top prize is a Tong Tasting cooking event featuring General Tong (as he prefers to be addressed) and the Deputy. Everybody loses.

Second prize is not two Tong Tasting events. No, it is Tong’s often vacant parking space. Let them eat cake becomes bid for my space. Third prize is she who shall not be named’s parking space—the Deputy’s space.

State lawyers and other agency employees shall mark the holiday season on Friday afternoon by engaging in a competitive auction in front of their bosses for a culinary event with their top two bosses. By the nature of the cringe-inducing event, Tong and the Deputy will know who bid the most on this tasting event.

A bidding war among colleagues for Tong’s favor is an unseemly method to raise money for the Office Culture fund. It feels particularly grubby by Tong, whose favored mode of travel remains the high horse, who lobbied for years to claw civil rights jurisdiction into his office.

Tong declared in the fourth year of the Lamont administration that every day in Connecticut is a struggle. If this is Tong’s notion of how to pay for Orwellian Work Culture activities, the fund is better empty. Tong can call off his Hunger Games.

Published December 12, 2023.

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Connecticut Democrat Jahana Hayes was one of only three Democrats to vote to censure her House colleague Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) over a September alarm incident. It has been a hard week for Bowman. On Wednesday, popular Westchester County Executive George Latimer announced he will challenge Bowman for the Democratic nomination in the 16th House District. The contest was quickly dubbed one of the most expensive primary contests of 2024.

House Democrats, according to Axios, cried out “shame, shame” at House members who voted for the Republican measure to censure Bowman. The censure motion arose from Bowman’s admission that he set off a fire alarm in the Cannon Office Building during a September House vote on funding the government.

Hayes may face a rematch with Meriden and Ansonia Republican George Logan. Hayes eked out a 1,800 vote victory in 2022 to win a third term.

Published December 7, 2023.

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The celebration of the Maccabees defeat of the mighty the Seleucids will have to wait for denizens of the Capitol village to pay tribute to the Senate Democrats in New Haven on this, the first day of Hanukkah.

The eight-day Jewish holiday begins at sunset today, which is at 4:19 p.m. The Senate Democrats kick off their event in New Haven at 5:30 p.m.

Tickets range from $100 to $2,000.

House Democrats changed the time of their December 7th fundraiser to 3:30 p.m.

Published December 7, 2023.

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House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora (R-North Haven) Tuesday appointed Hartford area lawyer Herman Woodard as a member of the Public Defender Services Commission. Woodard, a Republican, replaces former state Representative William Dyson, a new Haven Democrat whose term expired soon September 30th. Woodard’s appointment is effective immediately.

Woodard, a popular defense attorney, joins the commission as months of tumult continue to rack the vital state agency. All commission members but Dyson resigned in April after an attorney for Chief Public Defender TaShun Bowden Lewis accused them of creating a pretext for discrimination by declining to act on her recommendations for promotions. Relations with new board members have been more contentious as members continue to stand their ground in support of frontline lawyers and agency administrators.

The commission meets today for what may be an extended executive session to discuss personnel matters.

Updates as events require.

Published December 5, 2023.

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University of Connecticut President Radenka Maric must have been ill-prepared for her October meeting with Governor Ned Lamont to discuss the future of Farmington-based UConn Health. On October 26th, Maric, Board of Trustees Chair Daniel Toscano, Trustee and UConn Health Board of Directors Chair Sanford Cloud and UConn Health Interim CEO Bruce T. Laing signed a letter acknowledging Lamont’s interest in “issuing an RFI or RFP to explore alternative option for the clinical enterprise at UConn Health.” The letter then dives into a long explanation on why Lamont would be wrong to proceed, raising points she ought to have fluently made at the meeting.

The quartet told Lamont, “We are extremely concerned that if any responses include selling the clinical enterprise [the hospital], the two schools’ [medical and dental] accreditation–and therefore their ability to continue to operate–could be in considerable jeopardy.” This is the last resort nonsense argument. Harvard Medical School, like many medical schools, does not own or operate a hospital and is in no jeopardy of losing its accreditation. The world renown school has, according to its website, “agreements with 15 clinical affiliates and research institutes, vital partners that provide patient care and clinical training.”

UConn Health remains a costly drain on state finances. That’s why earlier this year Lamont publicly asked State Comptroller Sean Scanlon to explore options for the hospital’s future without annual bailouts from taxpayers. Maric’s letter inadvertently emphasized in bold the hospital’s continuing financial troubles. It claims UConn’s 10-year financial forecast predicts state support will decline to $105.4 million in 2033. By its own estimate, UConn Health will require more than $1 billion in taxpayer support in the next decade. The letter omits Lamont’s support for the state to take on UConn and UConn Health’s pension and retiree benefit costs.

Maric and company “question the need to issue a broad RFP or RFI, particularly because, as you know, we fear this will cause significant damage to UConn Health including its schools, its reputation, and most importantly, retention and recruitment of the best and brightest faculty, staff and students, many of whom build their lives and careers in Connecticut.” Maric, a scientist and UConn’s former vice president for research, innovation and entrepreneurship, favors sclerosis.

Maric, Toscano, Cloud and Laing may have had only a flash of alarm over Lamont’s plans to seek options and ideas. The day before the letter was sent to him, UConn’s Board of Trustees met. There is no mention of the issue on the agenda or in the draft of minutes to be adopted at December 7th’s meeting. Those minutes state under UConn Health activities, “There was no Report on Committee activities.”

The agenda for the December 7th trustees meeting lists the monthly item on UConn Health activities, but no attachments of information for trustees and the public.

October’s draft minutes include a reference to an executive session–and a dodgy justification for secrecy. It states the reason for the closed meeting was “Preliminary drafts or notes provided the public agency has determined that the public interest in withholding such documents clearly outweighs the public interest in disclosure.” To retreat into an executive session to discuss the draft of a letter would be an extraordinary abuse of the law by a public university. UConn’s trustees and its powerful bureaucracy would know that.

Nearly three weeks after requesting a copy of the October 26th letter to Governor Lamont, UConn had not provided a copy of it as of publication of this story. Daily Ructions obtained it by other means.

Published December 5, 2023.

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