Hartford City Councilman Alexander Thomas violated the city’s travel policies regarding spending on the city’s credit card during a trip to Washington D.C. in April of 2025 to attend the 2025 YEO Convening Conference, a convention for young, elected officials to “participate in three days of intense issues and skills based training,” according to an internal audit report obtained by Inside Investigator through a Freedom of Information request.

City auditors were alerted to the possible misuse of the city’s purchasing card – known as a P-Card – when the city controller was reviewing transactions and saw spending for food, according to the August 22 letter from Hartford’s Internal Audit Commission to City Council President Shirley Surgeon, who approved Thomas’s travel request. The P-Card was temporarily suspended, and Chief of Staff James Woulf was informed of the “potential misuse.”

Although Thomas was able to provide receipts for all purchases, city auditors found “at least” five charges totaling $108.28 were not made by Thomas himself – he traveled with his family – and that he used the card for $154.02 for Uber rides and parking, “which are not related to the approved travel.” Lastly, the councilman exceeded the per diem rates allowed for meals and hotel stays, charging $370.13 and $521.44, respectively.

“Based on a review of the Travel Policy, the City only reimburses reasonable and justifiable travel-related expenses for employees and does not reimburse employee entertainment expenses unless pre-approved by the Chief Operating Officer,” wrote Acting Chief Auditor Donna Barberi. 

According to the letter, Hartford’s chief financial officer and director of finance, “directed the Controller to complete the travel reimbursement for the Councilman,” and “directed the re-training of Town Clerk and staff on the Travel Policy and completing Travel Reimbursement forms.” 

The auditors determined there was no financial loss to the city because the P-Card purchases were covered by the travel reimbursements authorized by Hartford’s Director of Finance Leigh Ann Ralls, but that the purchases still violated travel policies.

“In conclusion, although all card purchases were covered by his travel reimbursement and did not result in a loss to the City, the Town Clerk’s purchase card was used inappropriately and violated the Travel Policy for personal gain,” Barberi wrote. “Additionally, it should be noted that the Councilman has a Pre-Trial scheduled for September 29, 2025, in Hartford Superior Court for a previous criminal felony charge, statutorily sealed.”

Reached for comment, Thomas noted that this finding stemmed from an audit of the Town Clerk’s office, not his office.

“The review led to retraining within the department on proper procedures for travel and reimbursement,” Thomas said in an emailed statement. “The city’s own review concluded there was no financial loss to the City of Hartford. All charges were covered by proper reimbursement processes, and this was explicitly noted in the final findings.”

Thomas also provided a June 24 letter issued by Council President Surgeon to him regarding the travel policy violations that indicated that Thomas made up for the violations by forfeiting most of his mileage reimbursement for using his personal car for travel combined with his meal reimbursement.

“The total violations incurred of $524.13 will be recovered by the City through a reduction of the travel reimbursement owed to you if the City’s travel policy was properly followed. This reimbursement of $666.76 includes mileage reimbursement of $486.26 and a meal reimbursement of $180.50,” Council President Surgeon wrote in the letter. “However, it is not proper to pay for violations through your mileage and meal reimbursement. You must adhere to the City’s travel policy going forward.”

“This disbursement will satisfy repayment to the City for incurred violations. Any future violations may result in loss of future business travel,” the June letter concluded.

Thomas was previously arrested in October of 2024 for allegedly embezzling more than $14,000 from Hartford’s South Church where he served as an associate pastor by routing the money through the church’s credit card to shell companies and then to his accounts. Councilman Thomas is reportedly seeking a diversionary program.

Councilman Thomas is listed as minority leader for the City Council and was elected in 2023 to a four-year term under the Working Families Party (WFP) ticket. In light of the embezzlement charges leveled against Thomas, the WFP called for him to resign his city council position. Thomas was previously removed from his position in the church.

The YEO Conference this year was dubbed “Our Fight, Our Future,” and brought together “a diverse and dynamic group of young elected officials, faith leaders, activists, innovators, policy experts, and partners from across the nation,” with a particular focus this year on “the urgency and necessity of our resistance.”

“I attended the YEO Convening Conference with prior authorization from the Council President, and I have fully complied with the process as directed,” Thomas said.

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