Erin Stewart, long the consensus favorite to win the endorsement for governor at the Republican state convention next weekend, spent Mother’s Day and much of Monday scrambling to assess the damage from reports indicating the misuse of her city credit card while mayor of New Britain.
Using public documents assembled by Stewart’s Democratic successor for a continuing internal investigation of finances during her tenure, The Hartford Courant and WTNH reported separately Sunday that Stewart regularly had mixed personal and official business since getting a city credit card in 2016.
A review of those documents Monday by the Connecticut Mirror showed about $22,000 of the $207,076 in purchases made with Stewart’s city card over the last nine of her 12 years in office were for purchases delivered to her home, including thank-you notes for a baby shower and $129.60 for Similac baby formula.
Her campaign issued a statement Monday afternoon that gave no explanation for the private purchases with the city card, known as a purchasing or P-card, instead going on the offense with a statement that, among other things, attacked her chief rival, Sen. Ryan Fazio of Greenwich, for criticizing “this conservative mother of two” on Mother’s Day.
Stewart declined a request for an interview.
“Here are the facts: expenditures by the Mayor’s Office were budgeted for, submitted, and subjected to annual audit during my twelve years delivering results in a deep-blue city, going from a $30 million deficit to a $34 million surplus,” she said in a statement issued at 3 p.m.
The administration of her successor, Mayor Bobby Sanchez, hired a law firm, the Crumbie Law Group, to conduct an investigation of irregularities in tax collections that has now broadened.
“For too long, there was a culture in City Hall where certain individuals appeared to believe different rules applied to them,” said Sanchez, who took office in November. “That era is over. My administration remains committed to uncovering the full truth, cooperating with any appropriate authorities, and ensuring accountability at every level.”
The release of the expenses made on Stewart’s city card come after the firing of the former tax collector, supported by an investigative memo from the Crumbie Law Group, and a report by the Connecticut Mirror about Stewart’s effort to seek a partial pension benefit that is not authorized by the city’s charter or ordinances.
In all three instances, Stewart has said the release of unflattering public documents from her time in office are badges of honor — proof that Gov. Ned Lamont and his Democratic allies see her as the biggest threat to his reelection to a third term in November.
“They’re throwing everything they have at me because they know I am the one Republican who can beat Ned Lamont in November,” Stewart said.
The reference to Fazio attacking on her Mother’s Day was a statement he issued after The Courant story was published. It noted her using the city card to buy a membership in a private social club, The Hartford Club, and items for herself and her husband.
“Erin Stewart’s conduct is disqualifying. Using taxpayer funds to pay for tens of thousands of dollars in personal expenses — including her husband’s birthday gifts, her own birthday dinner, a personal membership at a Hartford social club and more — is a serious crime and a profound abuse of the public’s trust,” Fazio said Sunday. “If she were the nominee, Democrats would spend millions making sure every voter in Connecticut knows it, and Republicans would suffer devastating losses up and down the ballot.”
Lamont declined to say Monday whether it was disqualifying for her as a Republican candidate. He said that was up to the Republican delegates to decide when they vote Saturday.
But the governor acknowledged the irony of having Stewart accused of misusing a credit card when Republicans roundly criticized Terrence Cheng, the former chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities, for his spending practices. Stewart was a member of the system’s board of regents until resigning in November when she opened her campaign.
“I think it is ironic. Yeah,” Lamont said. “The Republicans are against corruption when it involves a Democrat, and they are silent when it’s on the other side of the aisle.”
Stewart’s purchases included four $100 tickets to a charity roast of Howie Dickenman, the former CCSU basketball coach, and outings to the New Britain ballpark where the minor league Rock Cats once played, charging the city for food, wine and beer.
A third Republican seeking the nomination, Betsy McCaughey, offered no criticism.
“It’s being called a scandal, but to me the really big scandal is the jobs report,” McCaughey said. Connecticut reported stagnant job growth and slightly higher unemployment last week.
Like Stewart, Fazio has been calling delegates. He said he senses erosion in support for Stewart among delegates who will gather next weekend at Mohegan Sun to select a nominee. Any candidate who wins 15% of the delegate vote on any ballot qualifies for the Republican primary in August.
“I think it’s going to be more competitive than folks thought it would be a month ago,” Fazio said Monday of the convention. “It’ll still be a challenge and competitive.”
Fazio criticized Stewart for failing to substantively address the questions raised by the expense reports, and he dismissed complaints by some of her supporters on social media that she is a victim of “fake news.”
Stewart has not challenged the authenticity of the documents.
“These charges and spending on taxpayer funds is as plain as the nose on my face,” Fazio said. “It’s not a matter of reporting.”
The products delivered to her home, many purchased on Amazon, included a compact ice maker for $109.99, a track jacket for $35.99, and a “sexy racerback lace bra” for $16.99.
In September 2020, she used the card to pay for $93.36 for four “Horses’ Rear” loser trophies. They were delivered to her home.
CT Mirror reporter Andrew Brown contributed to this story.
