A Time to Consider the Use and Misuse of Interns at the Legislature.

The session of the legislature that ends today included an ugly incident of attempted political fratricide by intern research. State Representative Michael Winkler (D-Vernon) assigned his intern (whose name we will not disclose) to dig up some dirt on Democratic House colleague David Arconti.

The intern, as interns will do, took his task seriously and sent a cheerful email to Eversource, the politically influential utility. “I am an intern at the CGA and I was wondering if you could give me any information on a CT Representative by the name of David Arconti,” he wrote to Eversourse investor relations executive Jeffrey Kotkin. “I’m curious to see if Mr.Arconti has ever donated/invested money into Eversource or if he’s ever received campaign funding from eversource. If you could point me in the right direction that would be wonderful, thank you for your time, my phone number is….”

Kotkin forwarded the intern’s message to veteran Eversource in-house lobbyists Peg Morton, Thomas Dorsey, and Daniel Moore. Dorsey forwarded the message to Arconti, who is the co-chair of the legislature’s energy committee, which often seems like a subsidiary of Eversource. Arconti sent it to Franklin Perry, the speaker’s chief of staff.

The February 26th email trail ends there. The intern was reassigned. I asked Winkler what the purpose was of having his intern obtain information on Arconti. Was it an appropriate task for an intern? What did Winkler expect the intern to learn about the legislature by having him ask Eversource if Arconti has invested in the state’s largest utility.

The Vernon Democrat replied, “As part of a research project, an intern was asked to do an on-line search. At no time was a letter requested or needed. All of the necessary information is on-line.” Those non sequiturs did not address the essential questions. When newly elected and re-elected legislators return to Hartford in January, leaders should make it clear that interns are not appropriate instruments for pursuing vendettas or doing down rivals. Whatever nasty beef Winkler had with the mild-mannered Danbury Democrat, the former state employees union official should not have enlisted a college intern to assist in his dirty work.

Neither Arconti nor Winkler is seeking re-election. Arconti declined to discuss the matter.

Published May 4, 2022.