What's a Few Million in a Slush Fund Between Friends?
Getty Images
The whole issue of "slush funds" has reared its ugly head at the LOB.
The state's two auditors, Democrat Kevin Johnston and Republican Robert Jaekle, says the contingency funds set up for Governor M. Jodi Rell and for Democratic legislative leaders should be looked into.
Rell used her fund to pay $220,000 to Kenneth Dautrich, director of Public Policy at UConn, to study ways to streamline state government. Critics have said, however, that the study included information that would help the governor's re-election campaign if she decided to seek another term.
Democratic legislators, who have a majority hold on the legislature, have had as much as $4-million in their fund; Governor Rell and Republican legislators have shared $2 million.
Auditors say the funds are set up to take care of any "minor emergencies" a governor or lawmakers may have to deal with after a budget has been passed. For example, they say, the money can be used for things like improvements on a baseball field, building repairs, or minor road work. The dollars usually go to districts represented by lawmakers who request the funding.
The auditors say the contingency funds have been in effect for at least seven years, maybe longer. But they agree there should be more oversight of those dollars to make sure they go for the intended purposes.
State Senator Jonathan Harris, a Democrat representing West Hartford, says during these difficult economic times, the funds should be eliminated altogether.
Posted Monday, Oct 19, 2009 - 6:01 PM EST
Top Stories
