Staff members of the State Contracting Standards Board (SCSB) authored a letter of support for Executive Director Greg Daniels, who is currently at odds with the board itself over his unilateral cancelation of regular SCSB meetings, and just a couple weeks before he receives his annual review from that very same board.
The May 10 letter highlighted Daniels’ “strategic vision and decision making,” team culture, transparency, and “navigating challenges with grace.”
“In the face of adversity, you have consistently shown grace, and professionalism. Your ability to lead during difficult times has inspired us all,” the six staff members wrote. “Your exemplary ethical leadership has enabled us to make decisions that align with our agency’s greater good. Your guidance and vision have helped us to uphold the core principles of fairness, responsibility, and accountability, and your actions have demonstrated a deep-seated commitment to ethical conduct.”
The SCSB, which was formed in the wake of Gov. John Rowland’s scandal with a state contractor, has powerful oversight over state agency contracts and for more than a decade labored without a staff and only an executive director until the General Assembly finally awarded staff funding in 2022.
Daniels, who was appointed as executive director by Gov. Ned Lamont has essentially shut the board down until Lamont appoints a new chairman of the SCSB since Michael Walsh left after a very short tenure in February. Although in the very recent past the board would elect an interim chairperson while awaiting an official appointment, Daniels argued that this was not in line with state statute and has suspended all regular board meetings until a gubernatorial appointment is made, angering several board members.
The SCSB also saw one of their key legislative proposals shot down again when Daniels, without board approval, requested additional SCSB staff so the board could expand its oversight of state contracts to Connecticut’s quasi-public agencies. The staffing request added a hefty fiscal note to the bill, which caused the quasi-public aspect of the bill to be removed. The legislation, which also would have protected the SCSB’s funding, was passed unanimously in the Senate but died in the House.
Now, it appears the staff the SCSB has wanted for over a decade is lining up behind an executive director who is not allowing them to meet and render decisions regarding state contracting practices waiting in the wings.
“I’m deeply disappointed that the staff is being dragged into a situation that really doesn’t have anything to do with them,” SCSB member Lauren Gauthier said when reached for comment.
Since ending regular meetings of the SCSB, Daniels has allowed two special meetings; one on April 5 for ethics training, which was attended by only two board members, and the most recent on May 10, which was Freedom of Information training and attended only by staff with no board members joining.
Interestingly, the monthly staff report for April states that the April 5 special meeting for ethics training was the result of “a unanimous vote by SCSB members at its February 9, 2024 regular meeting,” a statement that doesn’t accurately reflect what occurred during the February meeting.
The SCSB voted to all watch a 30-minute ethics video which would be forwarded to them by the staff by the April 12 regular meeting – which was canceled – followed by board members signing an ethics form in the following months. There was no mention of a special meeting in April, nor a vote on having the executive director of the Office of State Ethics conduct an in-person training.
Walsh heard a motion “to direct the administration to send all board members a link to take the self-ethics course,” which was then voted on unanimously. In response to a question by board member Bruce Buff, Walsh confirmed that it was “all online,” and board members could complete the training at their leisure followed by an “interactive test” before the April meeting.
According to an email received by Inside Investigator, board members believed the April 5 special meeting was illegally held because there was not a quorum of members – similar to the lack of quorum at the May 10 meeting.
The SCSB has received significant push-back from the Lamont administration, largely since they decided to investigate contracting issues at the Connecticut Port Authority to redevelop the State Pier into an offshore wind hub, a key project for Lamont that has been plagued with rising costs and ethical issues.
The Lamont administration has not yet indicated when the governor might appoint a chairperson to the board. The last board change came when Lamont bounced long-time board member Robert Rinker from the SCSB, replacing him with Keith Brothers, despite there being a long-vacant seat.
“We genuinely appreciate your unwavering dedication to promoting a culture of integrity and look forward to continuing to work under your guidance,” the letter concludes. “Thank you for being an exceptional leader. We are vested in your success and the success of our agency.”
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