Senators Want to Review Badly Behaved Lawmakers

Two years ago, when then-Senate Minority Leader Louis DeLuca admitted to a felony, the Democratic majority set up a bipartisan committee to investigate and make recommendations concerning DeLuca's future. Ultimately, DeLuca left the Senate.

Now, Republicans say that with two Democratic senators admitting to misconduct, a new bipartisan committee should be formed to review their conduct.

Thomas Gaffey, D-Meriden, paid a $6,000 fine after admitting he double billed the Legislature and his political action committee.  Joseph Crisco, D-Woodbridge, was fined $4,000 for forging signatures on finance documents.  

Democratic Senate leaders have said in the past that while DeLuca committed a felony, Grisco and Gaffey did not.  And that, they say, is a major difference.

But in a letter to Democratic senators, Republicans said Gaffey and Crisco's actions threaten the public trust. 

Senators Andrew Roraback, R-Goshen, and Senator Tony Guglielmo, R-Stafford, along with former Greenwich Senator William Nickerson, are calling on the Democratic majority to support a resolution to form a new bipartisan committee of inquiry that would review the conduct of Gaffey and Crisco and recommend appropriate action.

While not commenting specifically about the Gaffey and Crisco cases, Democratic Sen. Edward Meyer, D-Guilford, said he will continue to push for a permanent Senate Ethics Committee and that the House should do the same thing.

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