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Wednesday, March 30, 2016

STILL BLEEDING CITY MONEY FOR DILLON

Apparently former Council President Shawn Wooden and Councilman Kenneth Kennedy's legacy is the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to the Dillon Stadium deal and the related Federal Grand Jury into corrupt practices surrounding the project.

Through an FOI request to the City of Hartford Corporation Counsel's Office filed over a month ago, I am just starting to get documents back now. Those document s detail billing and payment records for legal fees associated with at least two City of Hartford employees called before the Grand Jury to testify as to their involvement in the project.

 Elda Sinani and Stephen Cole have both apparently spent numerous hours before the Grand Jury, racking up tens of thousands of dollars in outside legal fees . Stephen Cole's bill alone adds up to over $17,000. That is $17,000 in expenses for a cash strapped City  that has already wasted millions on a project going no where.

I am not sure why there are no lawyers on the City payroll that could handle representing a City employee before a Federal Grand Jury. Why do we need a staff full of attorney's in the Corporation Counsel's Office if we are going to spend this kind of money? Or is that just the way the "legal game" is played?

For more on the Dillon Stadium debacle, click here


10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kevin, you are being a bit disingenuous. The City has racked up over a quarter of a million dollars in legal fees for John Droney to represent Adam Cloud before the grand jury and nary a peep from you about that.

Anonymous said...

Kevin, this is Hartford and state politics as usual. No one ever wins with elected or appointed officials. The caring and fair politicians and community leaders are pushed aside. Yet, the majority of the mighty get their votes lined up. No one wants to buck the system. Linda Bayer is still on the city payroll. Tommy Ritter and Sanford Cloud on the UNCONN board. Former Lt Governor Kevin Sullivan has had numerous state and local duties. Saundra Kee Borges, Terry Waller, Adam Cloud and deputy Carmen Sierra, Shawn Wooden, Alex Apointee, Cynthia Jennings, John Rowland, Jodi Rell, Willian O'Neil, Mike Peters, Eddie Perez, Matt Hennessy, Pedro Segarra, Jared Kempic, Charlie Ortiz, Arthur Anderson, Paul Puzzo, Lena Rodriguez are among the many, many, many who have preformed their dedicated service to city and state government in disgust.

Ted Cole said...

Sinani should be fired for conflict of interest

Anne Goshdigian said...

What this all boils down to is something I've been saying for two years now: Hartford's elected officials--elected by the people--do not listen to the people. During the presentations by Duckett and Anderson of Black Diamond before city council, red flags were popping up all over the place. So I and some other concerned citizens advised caution before proceeding with this proposed development, and were ignored by the council. Then we went to work vetting the principals, and found a string of lawsuits and dirty dealings on their records. Next, we looked into the supposed "letter of credit" that they foisted off on the council. It took only a few days--using simple internet searches that anyone with half a brain could conduct--to discover that the letter was bogus...a total fraud. We spoke against going through with this deal, presented the evidence, and again we were ignored--as usual.

What this means is that if our council did what they were elected to do and paid attention to their constituents, we would not be out the million+ dollars we handed over to these scammers (money which we will never see again), nor would we be continuing to mount up millions more in ongoing legal fees.

So Hartford and Mayor Bronin, you want to find ways to slash the budget deficit? Here's an idea: Start listening to the people who live here, and who have--for no compensation--done the legwork for you and presented it to you for one reason only; they care about what happens to our city. Bronin has brought in a lot of high-priced help to try to straighten out the city, and some of that may prove useful. But he should start thinking about adding at least a sprinkling of the city's dedicated activists to his advisory panels and commissions. Those are the folks who've kept their ears to the ground and who know a lot about what's been going on here before he took the reins. Stop choosing people who are in the pockets of the DTC, and the yes-men and yes-women who only want to serve their own self-interests, or follow your wishes. Take a bold step and empower some of the people who really give a damn, instead of the same old, same old.

Honest John said...

Anne..Bronin was supported by Wooden,,Eddie Perez,Predator Angel Morales,Noel McGregor,Lou Watkins,John Kennelly,RJo Winch, and other low life's. He doesn't care and only is interested in advancing his career.....wake up and smell the coffee.

Anonymous said...

Honest John, since you are so honest (your moniker), please tell us who you really are unless of course, you're not so honest. I happen to agree with much of your snake revelations. They do slither through the rocks, don't they. You can't always define someone by the company that insisted on following him down the street. But it does give one pause.

Signed, A Strong but wobbling supporter of New Testiment Luke Bronin

Anonymous said...

10:33am

You are not alone, Plenty of us that had hope on January 1st , are now wobbling in our support also. This could be a very short political career for Bronin if he continues on his current path. Weaver High is just one example of his caving to political pressure instead of making the tough decisions he knows he needs to make

Anonymous said...

@11:09 I guess we can't do a recall yet. The Charter should be r vis d to include a recall petition. Let's start this not as a protest Gainst Bro in but against any future or present politicians. Having this tool would hold their feet to the fire.

Bob Killian would be making better choices I'm afraid to say.

Honest John said...

Dear 10:33AM- if you will not identify yourself to us then why should I indentify myself at your request? Luke was handed his ass at the Council tonight after he repeatedly lied during his testimony. Keep being "wobbly" and maybe King Luke will give you a raise....or a gold star.

Anonymous said...

Honest John, I am no longer wobbley. I am a super supporter of him but also of union-busting tactics. Time to get rid of the union pests.