State has a problem with trust [Op-ed]

June 22, 2016

It’s extremely difficult to trust a state government when it operates like Connecticut’s.

Under complete Democratic control, our state has seen little to make us believe government truly is working for the people. From failed budgets, to questionable campaign-funding issues, to ignoring obvious conflicts of interest — this one-party rule only makes it easier for problems to get swept under the rug. And the “Corrupticut” label still rings true.

Take campaign finance. A decade ago, Connecticut policymakers, myself included, made a deal with taxpayers. In return for taxpayer-funded elections, candidates would forego outside money from special interests. Democrats voted to weaken the law year after year, violated state law and tried to cover up the evidence of foul play.

This month, Connecticut officials dealt a major blow to transparency by allowing a blatant violation of these laws to quietly disappear without a fight. When Gov. Dannel P. Malloy ran for re-election in 2014, he took $6.5 million in taxpayer-funded grants. He signed a promise that he would not accept outside funding. But he broke that promise when hundreds of thousands of dollars were used from a separate account held by the state Democratic Party to pay for Malloy campaign mailers. That account included money from state contractors and special-interest groups — exactly the individuals prohibited from giving to Gov. Malloy. The state Democratic Party refused to comply with State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) subpoenas seeking additional information. The violation and lack of transparency are issues so big, they prompted Charles Urso, lead investigator in former Gov. John G. Rowland’s case, to say the Malloy case could “dwarf the Rowland case” in terms of crooked conduct.

But instead of continuing the investigation, the SEEC made a deal with the Demo-cratic Party. The settlement is toothless; it stops the commission from ever finding out the full truth; and includes no admission of any wrongdoing. The agreement simply allows the Democrats to promise to follow the law moving forward. Oh, and they plan to cough up a $325,000 “voluntary payment.” So with a hefty payment, the problem disappears and transparency remains elusive. News flash: buying your way out of trouble earns no one’s trust.

Public trust also is challenged when state leaders ignore concerns over conflicts of interest. Just look at the Connecticut Insurance Department. Commissioner Katherine Wade is overseeing the proposed Cigna-Anthem megamerger. But it’s hard to see her as an unbiased party. She is a former Cigna lobbyist and vice president, and her husband is Cigna’s associate chief counsel. Despite many calls for Wade to recuse herself, she remains in place. Pair that with the fact large insurance companies, including Cigna and related lobbyists, poured campaign donations into groups linked with Gov. Malloy. Consider also that the administration proactively sought out Cigna and Anthem to offer assistance in the merger, even though the state is supposed to remain unbiased. Suddenly, the environment appears to benefit the corporations more than the consumers, instead of valuing the concerns of all parties equally. Denying even the appearance of conflict makes the whole situation worse and casts a shadow on everything the department does. This makes it nearly impossible to have faith in the process.

When Democratic state leaders break promises, obstruct transparency, choose the easy path instead of the right path, and make decisions that put special interests above the interests of our families, it becomes hard to trust those who hold all the power.

Len Fasano, R-North Haven, is Senate minority leader.