Erin Stewart suspended her campaign on Thursday, the same day Democratic Mayor Bobby Sanchez released an independent investigation that said the former New Britain mayor showed a reckless disregard for the policies governing public funds. The report, commissioned by the mayor’s office and led by the Crumbie Law Group, said Stewart’s spending on a city-issued credit card amounted to $207,000 over 12 years in office.
The findings described a pattern that investigators said went far beyond city business. They said the great majority of Stewart’s expenditures were wholly unrelated to municipal work and appeared to have benefited and enriched Stewart and her family. Receipts cited in the report included cat toys, gag gifts, lingerie, makeup, home decorations, items for a Peppa Pig birthday party and other parties. The report also said Stewart disguised purchases as “misc office supplies” or “misc expense incurred in the admin. of the office.”
Sanchez said the report showed “a deeply troubling pattern of abuse involving public funds, repeated violations of City policy, and conduct that represented a serious breach of the public trust.” He called the findings “outrageous” and said from day one he had promised accountability, transparency and a full review of allegations involving taxpayer resources. He also said the investigation is not finished.
The spending questions surfaced after a report showed Stewart’s city-issued credit card charges totaled $207,000 over 12 years, and the independent inquiry was launched from there. Investigators said the card abuses significantly affected New Britain’s bottom line and happened repeatedly over nearly a decade. Stewart declined to be interviewed for the investigation, asked for prepared questions to be forwarded to her, and, according to Sanchez, ignored another request for an interview after being told prepared questions could not be used.
State police said they received a complaint and on Thursday Connecticut State Police- Central District Major Crime initiated an investigation into the matter. Stewart is not facing charges at this point, but the separate law enforcement inquiry means the issue is moving beyond city hall. For Stewart, the suspension of her campaign marked an abrupt political retreat; for New Britain, the question now is how far the findings will go and what the unfinished investigation turns up next.
