GOP Demands Probe

Top Republicans are calling for an investigation into Democratic state Sen. Thomas Gaffey's personal relationship with a high-ranking official of the state university system as Gaffey was pushing for a ...

[Boston Joe]

Mr. Gaffey should follow Mr. DeLuca, talk about corruption, this state is loaded with it.

[woodchip]

"Ferraiolo is a state employee who serves as the associate vice chancellor for government relations and communications, but one of her chief tasks as a constant presence at the state Capitol is to lobby legislators on behalf of the Connecticut State University System. "Jill is a state employee. She is a public official," Gaffey said Monday. "State employees aren't lobbyists under the legal term of lobbyists." "We've got people in the administration who are married to lobbyists. We have legislators who are married to lobbyists," Gaffey said. "I never thought I had to explain who I'm dating, particularly when she's not a lobbyist."

What the ****? Taxpayers are paying state employees to be lobbyists? Everyone of those state legislators should have their asses kicked right out the door. Ferraiolo should be fired. The whole system is corrupt. But, a dead fish starts to stink from the head first...right gov?

[Rakim]

He is sick. Although he did not gain financially, he clearly "benefited" in other ways.

I am a democrat. This is not a party issue. This is simply a matter of right and wrong. He should be kicked out.

[Christine Ragaglia Redux]

Alibozek & Christine Ragaglia. Her husband divorced her and has custody of children..I think things regarding her are still in the courts, years after the Rowland Scandals.. State employees...Now Jill Ferraiolo & Tom Gaffey....Who does he think he is Bill Clinton. Sure is talking like a Clinton.Yes--Full Investigation...Misuse of Funds, etc. Check all expense records.They should both resign now.They will still get all their State Healthcare and Pensions...What is Gov. Rell going to say? I'm sure they have the full support of DiBella who has made money off the State of Connecticut Educational System.

[Milt Friedman]

I pay," Gaffey responded. "Maybe I'm old-fashioned."

Really, Tom?

"CRRA Woes Snowball

As agency employees, two area lawmakers ran up expenses


Business New Haven
4/29/2002
By:
BNH


Two state legislators who work full-time for the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority (CRRA) ran up thousands of dollars in personal expenses over a period of years without having to promptly repay the agency.
The Hartford Courant on April 23 reported that Deputy Senate Majority Leader Thomas P. Gaffey (D-13) of Meriden, ran up a total that reached $11,656 last year, mainly for mileage and cellular phone usage. Since then he has made more than $3,700 in reimbursements, but he still owes the agency $7,926, according to the Courant."

[Nino Brown]

Boy .... a call from former Senator DeLuca .... means a lot coming form him ... did he threaten Senator Gaffey if he does'nt resign ??? "State employees are not lobbyists under the legal term of lobbyists" is this a Bill Clinton moment ?... "depends on what your definition of is is " ...."maybe I'm old fashioned" he says ... old fashioned like ... Boss Tweed.... Jimmy Walker .... Santopietro .... Giordano.... Rowland perhaps ....time to say GOODBYE TOM

[Gaffey Must Go]

This just proves how corrupt our state is. Throw Gaffey out and investigate the rest of them while we're at it.

[Screwed Again]

I pay," Gaffey responded. "Maybe I'm old-fashioned...
Really Tom, Old fashioned men dont sleep with other men's wives....

Nor do they threaten to throw them in jail when you are asked to stop!

[Francis]

fire both of them - Ferriolo and Gaffey

[gcrean]

The overt conflict of interest on the part of democratic lawmakers continues to burn the state while the Courant fiddles. Why is it that the Courant jumps all over Republicans for peccadillos yet the Democrats engage in obsene conflicts of interest with hardly a peep from the state's largest paper? How about former State Senator Pro-Tem Kevin Sullivan working for Trinity College as vice-president of government affairs with the job of steering state money to Trinity College. Representative David McClusky's full time job is for the state employees union, and a quick review of his sponsored bills this past year include many that benefit state employees. Representative Beth Bye works for CREC and organization that gets all of its funding from the state. Healy is right; there are different standards for private lobbyists that lawmakers who are essentially paid lobbyists for their employers skip around . It is time for the Courant to conduct a full scale investigation into these democratic indiscretions with the same zeal that was unleashed on former Republican Governor John Rowland.

[Stop the Nonsense]

Gaffey has been staying under the radar for a long, long time - poking his way through life, and building a power base with the Democrats that includes vindictiveness and half-truths. He has been the behind-the-scenes bad-guy/enforcer for Amann and Williams, make no mistake, and those bozos will now move to cover each other's backsides.

Those who have compared Gaffey to Clinton are certainly using a correct analogy... she's not a lobbyist technically, and he hasn't gained personally because the only "bank" he would be depositing his "benefits" in is not FDIC insured.

It is too bad that DeLuca had to open his yap and get involved because the Dems now have a reason to cry foul. Taking both DeLuca and Gaffey into consideration, would anyone say that a misdirection of $1 Billion (or, at least handling such an amount in less than an above-the-board manner) is any less serious than trying to get Big-Nose Louie to beat on an alienated in-law...?

Let's stop the partisan shenanigans and get Gaffey expelled NOW and, if the Dems somehow manage to save his sorry butt, REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER...!!! We, the taxpayers, need to start "firing" these idiots who have such flagrant disregard for the public trust that they have been given.

By the way, does anyone know if Gaffey ever paid back the $7926.00 that he once owed to CRRA...??? Hey, Courant - how about some follow up investigation on that note...?

[Milt Friedman]

If Gaffey really pays...perhaps he can explain how it is "old fashioned" to get judges to reduce your child support?

http://www.jud.ct.gov/external/supapp/Cases/A...

[sickofit]

has anyone ever visited the campuses of uconn or the csus. they are so extravagantly overbuilt, overdecorated, over-architected taj mahals that it boggles the mind. all these "educators" are on ego trips in their own not-so-little disneylands and cronies in the legislature keep feeding them cash.

i guess if there one ASSociate vice chancellor of anything, there must be several, probably an assistant vice chancellor or two or three, at least one primary vice chancellor, then a chancellor, then a provost, then an academic vice president, etc., etc., then BANKRUPTCY. when is somebody going to strangle the bureacracy that threatens to put us all in the poorhouse. any ideas, jodi? any?????

[Pol Watcher]

Whether or not there are ethical concerns (Since when did we need an ethics ruling to help us figure these things out? What happened to common sense?) about the relationship between Ferraiolo and Gaffey, the real issue here is about Senate leadership; when did Williams know about this and what did he do about it at the time? What has he done about it since? Except going after Joan Hartley like a psycho (along with his buddy Tom), he has been inert. I think Hartley ought to have her office and parking place changed -- she should have William's office and parking spot -- and job as President Pro Tem. Williams should have his leadership skills seriously re-evaluated.

[Stop Complaining]

DeLuca was evil because he was trying to protect his grand-daughter but Gaffey is OK because it is only tax payers money... We all know Democrats have no concern for money and continue to waste it but this is sick!

Will the Democrats react with outrage when it is one of their own or will they prove their hypocrisy...

[jersey]

Isnt Senator Cappiello married to a lobbyist?

[Milt Friedman]

McCluskey and Bye are public about their allegiances. Keeping such ties (and perhaps whips & chains, who knows) private while screwing another legislator who opposes the cabal is far different, and far worse

[Frank]

McKinney has no room to talk about ethics and disclosure. He and his family wouldn't disclosure his fathers relationship with male lobbyists, male prostitutes and pages, nor did they disclose he was dying of AIDS.

People who live in glass houses....

On the other hand the Senate should investigage Gaffney.

But once again we republicans did it wrong. We had DELUCA and MCKINNEY call for it. Jeesh, that is like Bill Clinton calling for abstinence and fidelity.

[Christine Ragaglia Redux]

Milt Friedman wrote:

If Gaffey really pays...perhaps he can explain how it is "old fashioned" to get judges to reduce your child support?
http://www.jud.ct.gov/external/supapp/Cases/A...

Wow--Looks kinda like with when John Rowland divorced his wife Debbie and the records were sealed by the Judge. Rowland still Owes his wife Thousands. Looks like Gaffey had the "Fix" in here....He must Resign TODAY! There should be a Criminal Investigation--The FBI must have been looking at him with his history...Blumenthal has not done anything...Somebody really should investigate him

[Joe]

The only Tajmahal is the UCONN campus which has benefited the most out of all state universities combined. The bonding package pales on comparison once divided up between the 4 universities compared to what UCONN has cost us (and continues to cost us in repairs). The CSU campuses are deteriorated beyond repair to do lack of up keep..but thats like any state building..build it, leave it for 50 years untouched, knock it down and rebuild.