Connecticut’s Office of Attorney General should model integrity, fairness, and inspire respect for the law. Our courts, the judicial process, and law enforcement officials are vital. They need a strong advocate.
Incredibly, a Republican has not won the Office of Attorney General in Connecticut since 1954! But this year, change is critical to restore our state’s economic competitiveness. And that requires a new brand of leadership from the attorney general.
I will promote a level-playing field for business through fair and consistent enforcement of laws and regulations. One of my first moves will be to establish an Office of Business Ombudsman to meet with companies and head off needless confrontation. My office will avoid frivolous “photo-op” lawsuits that chill job creation, cost needless tax dollars, and result in long-term economic harm.
Under my leadership, the attorney general’s office will engender confidence with state lawmakers, the media, and public. I will make a special effort to reach schoolchildren to help them understand and appreciate the law and the history of our legal institutions.
My team will be vigilant in the review of state contracts and bond packages to root out waste, fraud and abuse that heap needless costs on state taxpayers. This will include working with a new administration to conduct a thorough review of state employee union agreements to identify potential ways to achieve short- and long-term cost savings.
I’m running for attorney general to bring professionalism and a fresh outlook to the office.
I’m currently an assistant state’s attorney with 13 years’ experience dealing with criminal cases. I’ve also practiced financial law on Wall Street, and for nearly a decade I worked as a registered nurse in the mental health unit at Yale-New Haven Hospital.
I’m a Connecticut native and live in eastern Connecticut with my husband, Nick, a retired state trooper, and our two boys, 10 and 6. We share our home with Elvis, a retired K-9 German shepherd. I’m also a former three-sport high school athlete and college basketball player.
Following are some of the important issues facing the attorney general:
- Human Trafficking – I’m proud to be the first prosecutor to obtain a conviction for the completed crime of human trafficking under Connecticut law. I will seek civil penalties to complement criminal law enforcement in this area.
- ‘Sanctuary Cities’ — Cities that provide “safe haven” for people who are not legal citizens of the United States are breaking the law and severely eroding what it means to be an American and Connecticut citizen.
- Opioid Crisis – More than 1,000 Connecticut citizens died last year alone from opioid abuse. I’ve seen firsthand how these substances wreck lives. I will pursue civil remedies and collaborate with criminal enforcement officials to address this crisis, as well as proactively educate children about the risks.
- Crumbling Foundations – A workable, legislative remedy is required to help hundreds of homeowners at risk of financial devastation through no fault of their own. Municipalities are also facing serious erosion of their taxable property.
- Second Amendment – Connecticut has among the strictest state gun laws and regulations in the country. But criminals ignore laws governing firearms. I do not support further restricting the Constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens to own and legally use firearms for hunting, target shooting, and self-defense. We must instead focus our efforts on the root cause of so many senseless acts of violence – mental health.
- Sexual Harassment – Rights of all parties must be protected under the law in today’s politically charged atmosphere. We need to stand firm with those who face exploitation in the workplace, while protecting due process rights of the accused.
- Internet Privacy – Citizens have a legitimate right to an expectation of privacy. The recent Facebook scandal, where users had their personal information “scraped” by a political consulting firm to model voting profiles, underscores the state’s need to be engaged.
- Health Care Mandates – I generally oppose state mandates that infringe on personal liberty. Forcing individuals to pay for insurance they don’t need or want violates this basic principle.
I welcome your comments and questions, and I invite you to learn more about my background by visiting Hatfield2018.com.
Sue Hatfield, a state prosecutor who resides in Pomfret, won the Republican Party’s convention endorsement for the Office of Attorney General.