Former New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart suspended her campaign for governor in Connecticut within an hour of a report that detailed her extensive use of a city credit card for personal purchases while she was mayor.
The report by a Hartford law firm, commissioned by New Britain Mayor Bobby Sanchez, details more than $207,000 dollars in personal expenses charged by Stewart over almost ten years, illustrating "repeated and deliberate circumvention of the city’s purchase order system to benefit herself, members of her family, and her political campaigns."
Stewart says she's now backing a fellow Republican, state Sen. Ryan Fazio, for their party's nomination.
The state GOP convention is set for this weekend at Mohegan Sun.
The report says the city's purchasing card program-- essentially, a city-issued credit card-- began under Stewart in 2016. Stewart, the report adds, used it to fund "routine living expenses" and to benefit “herself, members of her family, and her political campaigns.”
The spending over almost ten years: a total of more than $207 thousand. $19 thousand in city funds bought a membership at the private "Hartford Club," where Stewart held a campaign fundraiser in 2017. In 2022, there were Amazon purchases for a "tropical Peppa PIg-themed birthday party" for her two-year-old daughter.
Scene from a "Tropical Peppa Pig-themed" birthday party for a toddler, posted to then-New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart's Facebook page on 7/25/22.Facebook via Crumbie Law Group
Also on the purchase list: maternity and early childhood items, clothing, jewelry and day-to-day groceries. She spent more than $48 thousand on Amazon alone.
The report concludes, "The entitlement demonstrated by Ms. Stewart reflected by the evidence in this investigation is incomprehensible for a public official."
Stewart released the following statement:
Today, I am announcing that I am suspending my campaign for Governor of Connecticut effective immediately. The continued allegations from New Britain City Hall have understandably taken over this race and diverted attention away from the critical mission of saving our state from high taxes, high costs, the most expensive energy in America, and low opportunity for young people. As I said Tuesday night, public service comes with scrutiny, and I have always accepted that. Anyone who knows me — whether from my years serving the people of New Britain, working alongside colleagues, or simply as a friend, daughter, wife, and mother — knows the kind of leader I have always tried to be.
I take the allegations that have been made against me very seriously. And for that reason, I am suspending my gubernatorial campaign effective immediately so that I can focus on addressing those claims. Yesterday I requested copies of of the relevant documents and I will be reviewing them carefully. I will take accountability for any mistakes, and I intend to make full and complete restitution to the City of New Britain — my home — for anything that I owe.
It is extraordinarily difficult to make this decision because we have run an amazing campaign so far. We attracted more than 3,000 individual donors, gained commitments from over 600 delegates, assembled what I believe is the best political team in Connecticut, and I truly believe we were poised to win the convention, win the primary, and defeat Governor Lamont in November. I do not have enough words to express my heartfelt gratitude and love for everyone from across the state who joined our movement and believed in me personally. I know many of them are disappointed. I am too. But now is the time to step away and put my husband, our daughter, our son, my family, and their interests first.
I have spoken to Senator Ryan Fazio and informed him of my decision. I also told him that he has my full support in becoming our party’s nominee, and I encourage all delegates who were supporting me to now support him. This is the time for our party to come together and spend the next six months focused squarely on electing Republicans up and down the ballot. I have also spoken to my running mate, Tim Ackert, to let him know of my decision. Tim has been a source of unceasing hope, energy, grace, and encouragement for me, and I cannot adequately thank him for agreeing to be my running mate. I will always show up for him as he has for me.
It is my intention not only to suspend my campaign but also to step back from public life as I do what is necessary to address these questions and make things right. I cannot change the past, but I can make the next right decision — and this is it. Thank you to my family. Thank you to my friends. Thank you to my amazing campaign team, and to my loyal supporters who have stood by me through so much over the last month.
Mayor Sanchez, a Democrat, raised the possibility of criminal charges, saying, "Consistent with the City’s previous action involving the city’s tax collector, these findings have been referred to both the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Office for review and any law enforcement action deemed appropriate."
Connecticut State Police confirm they're investigating.
Leading state Republicans on Thursday were backing Stewart's decision to drop out. State GOP Chair Ben Proto says he and other party leaders spoke to Stewart before she made her choice. He says, "I think this is in the best interest of her, her family, her children and for the party, at this point. Obviously, she's got some major issues that she has to deal with, and she should focus her entire attention on those things and her family."
"Erin has made the right decision for herself and for Connecticut," said House Minority Leader Vin Candelora (R-North Branford). "Public service demands the highest standards of integrity, and when a public official or candidate fails to meet them, there is really only one appropriate path forward."
Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont, who's been friendly at public events with Stewart despite her fierce comments targeting him on social media, said, "There are some serious allegations. Gotta get to the bottom of that. I respect her decision. I know how tough it was."
