McKinney to Renew Call for Legislative Inquiry into Corruption within the Speaker’s Office

*** Press Conference 11 a.m. Tuesday – LOB Room 1E ***

State Senate Minority Leader John McKinney (R-Fairfield) will hold a press conference at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 31st in room 1E of the Legislative Office Building to renew his call for a bipartisan legislative committee of inquiry to investigate allegations of misconduct related to the Speaker’s legislative office and congressional campaign and determine appropriate legislative sanctions.

“Based on the new indictments, we now know that this conspiracy extended all the way to the most senior staff within the Speaker’s office,” McKinney said. “It involved, not just former Donovan policy advisor Josh Nassi, but at least one other senior level staff person who presumably still works in the Speaker’s legislative office. According to the Speaker’s own internal investigation, there also exists a list in Nassi’s handwriting of seven bills pending during the 2012 session, of which the ‘Roll Your Own Bill’ was just one. Now that staff people within the highest office of the Legislature have been implicated and it appears that many other bills may have been targeted, the legislature – both Republicans and Democrats – cannot turn a blind eye any longer.”

Sen. McKinney first called for a committee of inquiry into the Donovan campaign scandal on June 1st. He has consistently advocated the formation of a standing committee on ethics since being elected Minority Leader of the Senate in 2007.

During tomorrow’s press conference Senator McKinney will detail how a committee of inquiry should be formed and how it should function in response to the latest allegations of legislative misconduct.