It seems as though one attorney is cornering the market on defending Hartford's disgraced corrupt politicians.
Attorney R. Bartley Halloran has filed his appearance as the attorney of record for convicted felon Eddie A. Perez in the State of Connecticut's efforts to revoke Perez's pension. To follow the court proceedings and motions, click here
Halloran has also recently represented former Hartford Police Officer Hector Robles in his departmental hearings that resulted in Robles's termination on numerous departmental charges. Those same charges could potentially result in Robles's arrest on criminal charges depending on the outcome of an ongoing investigation by the State's Attorney's Office.
Back in July after former Council President Pedro Segarra became Mayor, there was a lot of political posturing going on when it came to selecting Segarra's replacement on the Council. Much of the posturing was done to attempt to secure the Council President's position by two Councilmembers, rJo Winch and Jim Boucher.
As an observer of the process, I felt that very little thought was given as to who was the best candidate. Rather, it was based on who would swing their vote to either side to sway the sixth vote needed.
We even heard State Representative Minnie Gonzalez speak openly about "the Rule of Two's" during the public session of a Council meeting. Simply, the "Rule of Two's" as explained by Gonzalez, was established during the Perry Administration and was an agreement that there would be 2 Hispanics, 2 Whites and 2 African Americans on the Majority side of the council. No mention of finding the best candidates to fill Council seats, but as Gonzalez explained that Segarra's seat "belonged" to a Hispanic. That's a topic for another post, but can anyone believe that as we are debating Racial Profiling ordinances for the City we still fill Council seats based on racial quotas?
At the time, the one who seemed most likely to swing his vote in support of Winch was Alexander Aponte who also happened to be a Hispanic so automatically he was a great fit.
Prior to the vote to select Mayor Segarra's replacement, I received a call from a source advising me that Aponte was most likely involved in a Federal investigation related to allegations of Food Stamp fraud as well as he was being investigated for possible suspension or revocation of his law license. I related this information to several Councilpeople and provided them with the information as it was explained to me. Councilman Kennedy, Ritter, Boucher, Deutsch, Winch and Corporation Counsel Saundra Kee-Borges were all made aware of the allegations before any vote was taken.
Most of them had at least 24 hours to research the matter on their own, or at least ask for a period of time to look into the matter on their own. Mayor Segarra was also made aware of the pending investigation. The only person to apparently take the matter seriously was Councilman Deutsch who eventually voted against Aponte's appointment.
Councilman Ritter apparently asked Aponte if the allegations were true and Aponte replied to Ritter, in Councilman Cotto's presence, that the allegations were totally untrue and that it was "all about the money" on the part of the person filing the claim.
The motion went forward and Aponte was appointed to fill the vacant seat.
Now, new court documents filed last month in Hartford Superior Court shed light on the allegations and the existence of the Federal investigation Aponte denied. If proven, the allegations could end up in some serious charges criminally against all parties involved.
In addition to the lawsuit against Aponte for malpractice and fraud, Aponte is also facing disciplinary action by the Connecticut Statewide Grievance Committee which oversees claims of improper or criminal behavior by attorneys as it refers to their license to practice law in Connecticut.
Although no one on the Council, except for Dr. Deutsch, chose to pay attention to the allegations, it seems like it may be very difficult for them to ignore the evidence now.
The allegations against Aponte are detailed in the court filings below, so much for "leadership by example".But then again in Hartford with this Council maybe it is the example that our aspiring "leaders" do follow.
Time and time again cash handling procedures and "misappropriated" revenue have been highlighted here, including thousands of dollars "missing" from the Tax Collectors Office. Now the latest revenue drain is apparently the Department of Public Works according to a report issued by the City's Auditors.
The report speaks for itself and can be read below. How many DPW employees could be hired back if the money was actually being accounted for and making it into the Treasurer's coffers?
