Mayor Denies Knowledge of FBI Probe into Misuse of Superstorm Sandy Recovery Funds

Did the City of Milford misuse millions of federal dollars to fix the damage of Superstorm Sandy?

Chairman of the Milford Republic Town Committee Paul Beckwith tells NBC Connecticut several City of Milford employees were interviewed by the FBI Public Corruption Task Force.

“They shared with us they had been questioned about funding issues within the City of Milford concerning FEMA grants,” Beckwith said.

The Connecticut Post reports the investigation focuses on the possible misuse of millions of dollars in federal funds to repair the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy in 2012 along the shoreline.

Milford Mayor Ben Blake (D) told NBC Connecticut via email he has no knowledge of an FBI investigation.

“It’s unfortunate to read the speculation and rumors surrounding the CT Post story,” writes Mayor Blake. “At this point, the only thing we know from the story is that an unnamed former employee was interviewed and asked a broad range of questions. No one has contacted my office about any investigation. With that said, if there is an investigation, we welcome it, and will support it in every way we can. Any allegations that may concern contractors or former employees of the City of Milford are troubling, and therefore, I have reached-out to investigative authorities to inquire further and, to the extent necessary, offered my help and the services of my office. Let it be very clear, should any kind of misconduct within our city be discovered, my office will address it quickly and decisively.”

An FBI spokesperson would not comment on whether Milford employees are being investigated.

“We have folks who live along our coastline who have experienced terrible weather, much destruction and damage,” Beckwith said, “and we want those funds to be available to them when those events happen, so they can rebuild quickly and move on with their lives.”

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