Former Governor Jodi Rell’s Landmark Campaign Finance Laws Dismantled

Hartford, CT – State Senator Toni Boucher (R-Wilton) released the following statement today re: House Bill 6580; An Act Concerning Disclosure of Independent Expenditures and Changes to Other Campaign Finance Laws and Election Laws.

“Connecticut clean elections laws have taken a dramatic step backwards today as, the majority party dismantled, Former Governor Jodi Rell’s Landmark Campaign Finance Laws. The majority party passed dramatic changes to the strict campaign finance laws that Governor Rell worked hard to advance. She wanted our state to combat negative national headlines that renamed the state as “Corrupticut” around the nation.

“The perceived assault to Connecticut’s election laws pours more money into elections by lifting the cap state parties can spend on any state race, making the expenditures unlimited. It removes the prohibition keeping political action committees (PAC) from using funds in negative ads against candidates participating in the citizen’s election fund and allows legislative leadership PAC’s to pay for members’ trips, gifts and junkets.

“In speaking with our former Governor on the changes about to be enacted in the legislature, she asked us to convey her deep disappointment at the retreat form clean elections and campaigns as she sees this as a dramatic step backwards. Governor Rell noted that she spent a great deal of her political capital cleaning up state elections and now, it appears to her, that the legislature is planning to return to its “old ways.”

“Governor Rell told me this campaign finance reform bill is disheartening for her and a sad day for our state. Additionally, Christine Horrigan from the League of Women Voters of Connecticut agreed and asked that we vote against the bill.”