Exclusive: State Police union leadership to members: You cannot be compelled to cooperate with USDOT probe.
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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