Gov. John G. Rowland lied.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Gov. John G. Rowland lied.
2
Mon, 12-15-2003 - 6:12am

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/12/13/governor.home.ap/index.html


Some Democratic legislators said Saturday they will pursue impeachment proceedings against Gov. John G. Rowland if he does not step aside.


But a top aide said the Republican has no plans to leave office over his admission that a state contractor helped pay for work on his summer home.


Dean Pagani, the governor's spokesman and chief of staff, said Rowland has not been accused of any wrongdoing and is cooperating fully with federal investigators.


"The governor has no intention of resigning," Pagani told reporters Saturday. "His only intention is to complete the current term he is serving and get the job done on behalf of the people of the state of Connecticut, as he has for the last nine years."


The three-term governor admitted Friday that friends, contractors and subcontractors paid for work on his summer home ranging from gutters to a hot tub.


Those contributing included the Tomasso Group -- a major state contractor -- and a former co-chief of staff under investigation in a federal corruption probe.


The written statement came 10 days after Rowland insisted that he alone paid for the improvements on the house.


Under state ethics laws, it is illegal for the governor to take any gifts worth more than $10 from people doing or seeking to do business with the governor's office. The Tomasso Group has many contracts with the state but none with the governor's office.


State Democratic Party chairman George Jepsen on Saturday called on Rowland to step aside temporarily during the ongoing federal corruption investigation. Five Democratic state lawmakers stood behind Jepsen and said they will seek Rowland's impeachment if he does not step down.


Democrats control both houses of the state Legislature, but the lawmakers who spoke are not among the leadership of the House and Senate.


"The man is a disgrace to the state of Connecticut," said state Sen. Edith Prague, D-Columbia. "There is nothing worse than a liar."


Jepsen noted that Rowland was among the first to call for former Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim to resign when Bridgeport's corruption scandal came to light. Ganim was eventually convicted of corruption charges.


"The governor said then that the issue was not the mayor's guilt or innocence, but rather his difficulty in leading the city while fighting criminal charges," Jepsen said.


Rowland does not face criminal charges.


Some newspapers call for Rowland to step down

Newspapers in Manchester, New London and New Britain called for Rowland's resignation Saturday, but administration officials said they are hoping the governor's apology and efforts to come clean will help him weather the criticism.


"The Democratic Party chairman is wrong," Republican Lt. Gov. M. Jodi Rell said in a statement. "I support the governor. And I urge the residents of Connecticut to do the same. The governor has an agenda for the next three years that he intends to see through, and I will work with him to accomplish those goals."


Senate Minority Leader Pro Tem William Aniskovich, R-Branford, said the calls for Rowland's resignation are driven by politics.


"At a minimum, it's premature," Aniskovich said. "At another level, it's kind of kicking a guy when he's down. I think it's important to let the process play out."


Pagani said the governor has turned over thousands of pages of documents to federal investigators involved in a corruption probe that began last year, when his former deputy chief of staff, Lawrence Alibozek, pleaded guilty to accepting cash and gold in return for steering state contracts. The Tomasso Group was also subpoenaed as part of a related corruption investigation.


Rowland also voluntarily turned over documents pertaining to renovations at his one-story, lakeside cottage, Pagani said.


"There is no cloud hanging over Gov. Rowland," Pagani said.


Rowland said Friday that while he paid for more than $30,000 in improvements to the cottage in Litchfield, friends, contractors and subcontractors paid for some of the work. He said none of them received any benefit from the state in exchange.


Alibozek and Rowland's former co-chief of staff, Peter Ellef -- who remains under investigation -- paid for heating improvements to Rowland's cottage.


Earlier this year, the governor paid nearly $9,000 to settle an ethics probe over his use of vacation homes owned by state contractors and also settled an Elections Enforcement Commission complaint, paying $6,000 to cover personal charges he made to a state GOP credit card.


In 1997, he paid a $2,000 Ethics Commission penalty for accepting undervalued concert tickets. That was the first ethics fine levied against a sitting Connecticut governor.



Few Defenders for Connecticut Governor After Ethics Misstep.

>"The federal inquiry involves three more people handpicked by the governor to lead state agencies. Theodore Anson, Mr. Rowland's former commissioner of public works, is being investigated and is accused of accepting gifts from people seeking state work. Lawrence E. Alibozek, his former deputy chief of staff, pleaded guilty to accepting cash and gold coins in exchange for influencing state contracts. Peter Ellef, a former chief of staff to Mr. Rowland, is being investigated in connection with contract awards.


Both Mr. Alibozek and Mr. Ellef paid for some cottage renovations, Mr. Rowland admitted on Friday. Ten days earlier he issued blustery denials about that and other questions related to payments and work at the cottage."<


Quoted from.........


http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/15/nyregion/15ROWL.html?ex=1072069200&en=35e1144e694f5bc5&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Mon, 12-15-2003 - 6:11pm

Sounds like he has ongoing issues with 'improper' actions.


iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Mon, 12-22-2003 - 9:17am

Update: Jepsen Steps Up Attack
Says Rowland Should Resign


http://www.ctnow.com/news/local/hc-bantamgate1222.artdec22,1,3183854.story?coll=hc-headlines-local


The leader of the state's Democratic Party hardened his stance on embattled Republican Gov. John G. Rowland Sunday, saying the governor should resign amid allegations of political corruption and cronyism.

A week ago, George Jepsen took a more moderate position, saying Rowland should step aside until federal investigators complete a grand jury investigation into his administration.

Now Jepsen is also urging Republicans in the legislature and the congressional delegation to ask the governor to leave office.

"Connecticut can no longer endure the fallout of a scandal-ridden administration," Jepsen said. "The governor should resign, and the process of persuading him to do so cannot be partisan."

Rowland has admitted a politically connected contractor, staff members and political supporters paid for improvements to his Bantam Lake cottage, after insisting previously that he alone paid for the work.

He also revealed this week he was a partner in a land deal with a state contractor and two other friends.

On Sunday, The New York Times, citing law enforcement sources it did not identify, reported that the Internal Revenue Service and the FBI have assigned more agents to a wide-ranging state government corruption investigation. The newspaper also reported that indictments of key subjects are likely in coming months, barring last-minute plea deals.

The Courant, in an editorial published Sunday, called for Rowland's resignation. "With his credibility shattered, Rowland can no longer govern effectively," the editorial stated.

Rowland gamely attempted to dispel such notions Sunday, taking center stage on the state's response to the escalated threat of terrorism. He announced he had deployed troops even while seeking to reassure the state's citizens they should not hesitate to shop, travel and hold their holiday parties. "Let us worry about this threat," he said.

No one asked him about work done at his Bantam Lake cottage by state contractors and the political maelstrom it has created, nor was he making any apologies this day.

When asked finally about The Courant's call for his resignation, Rowland replied: "I'm just doing my job. This is part of my job, today, and I will do whatever I have to do to protect the citizens of the state."

A meeting between Rowland and members of the congressional delegation would likely happen after the holidays, said U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-4th District.

The three Republican members of the delegation - Shays and Reps. Rob Simmons and Nancy Johnson - sought the meeting Friday following Rowland's revelations about the land deal.

"They asked if we would mind waiting until after the holidays, and I think that's a fair request," said Shays, who said Friday he was not sure Rowland would be able to continue in office. "We want to give John the opportunity to be with his family during the holiday season."

The governor's spokesman, John Wiltse, said Sunday he did not know about any meeting. Rowland took only one question about the scandal at a homeland security news conference Sunday.

"The governor has no intention to resign," Wiltse said after the conference Sunday.

Todd Mitchell, a spokesman for Simmons, said Simmons was eager to meet with Rowland. But the congressman "is not going to respond to every state legislator or party leader who has something to say about what John Rowland should do," he said.

The calls for the governor's resignation have grown since his first admission. Four newspapers, a handful of Democratic lawmakers and some advocacy groups have said he should head for the door.

Some Democratic legislators have proposed impeachment, although legislative leaders have downplayed the idea.

Four Connecticut newspapers have said Rowland should resign. In addition, The New York Times in an editorial Sunday mocked Rowland, but stopped short of calling for his resignation.

"John Rowland may be the governor of Connecticut, but he's living deep in the state of denial," the editorial read. "Unless Mr. Rowland can quickly put to rest doubts about his honesty, he should turn the reins of government over to someone who is less distracted. It would give him more time to enjoy the view at his vacation cottage."

Rowland has spent the days since the scandal broke apologizing and asking for the state's forgiveness. He also continues to insist that he is capable of remaining at the head of the state.

Sen. William Aniskovich of Branford, the second-highest ranking Republican in the state Senate, said the position of legislative Republicans had not changed.

"Our position remains that the ethics investigation and the U.S. attorney's office process should be allowed to go forward before the legislature steps in," Aniskovich said.

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