August 16, 2016/Press Releases

As Democratic Mayors Blast Senate GOP, CT Dems Question House Republicans

Hartford, Ct. – Following a Connecticut Coalition of Democratic Mayors press conference highlighting the Connecticut Senate GOP’s record of blurring the lines between their official offices and their campaigns, the Connecticut Democratic Party is calling out GOP leader Themis Klarides and House Republicans for similarly using their government office to elect Republicans instead of fighting for their constituents.
Yesterday Klarides put out a press release from her government office accusing Democrats of talking about the presidential race because “they can’t run on their own record this fall”. This wasn’t meant to help her constituents or move the state forward, but rather to help members of her caucus in the upcoming elections.
It is far from her first foray into using official resources for campaign purposes. She has routinely used her office to root for Connecticut’s failure and score cheap political points.
Klarides’s July 28 press release, for instance, attacked Democrats without offering solutions and made a direct solicitation to voters:
“So pay attention to those mailers you receive this fall in your mailbox from politicians looking for your vote for state House or Senate, or those candidates that arrive at your door. You might ask them how they voted on recent budgets or how they might finally fix Connecticut’s finances so that we can grow jobs and spur economic development. The two largest tax increases in state history have left us with massive deficits. You might ask these candidates if they are willing to go down that road again.” – Themis Klarides, July 28
These are just two examples of House Republicans – like their Senate counterparts – blurring or crossing the line between government business and political activities. 

“We expect our elected officials to work on behalf of their constituents, not just in their own narrow political interests. Yet, Themis Klarides is putting politics first and using taxpayer resources to elect GOP candidates. Simply put, using tax dollars to support a campaign is a violation of the public trust.” – Connecticut Democratic Party spokesman Leigh Appleby

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