There is discord at the State Contracting Standards Board (SCSB)’s office. Several staff members sent a letter to the SCSB’s appointing authorities, declaring a vote of no confidence in SCSB Chair Rochelle Palache and the other sitting members.
The letter accused the board of: being ineffective and issuing poor judgement; not being transparent or communicating well; using manipulative tactics that create a “toxic atmosphere” and prevent collaboration and accountability; and engaging in “passive and active harassment and intimidation” against the staff.
There are seven staff members on the SCSB, including the Executive Director Gregory Daniels and the Chief Procurement Officer, Jonathan Longman. Neither Daniels nor Longman signed the letter. The other five staff members—Samson Anderson, Aaron Felman, Aleshia Hall, Carmen Hufcut and Maritza Lopez—did.
These staff members accused the board of multiple acts of wrongdoing. One of these allegations is that “members routinely and repeatedly disseminate misinformation and distorted narratives in public meetings, amongst themselves, to public stakeholders, media and publication outlets,” but did not give any examples.
Staff members accuse the SCSB board members of regularly making “disparaging and condescending comments” about and to staff members. The letter links to a recording of the SCSB’s YouTube page.
They recommend that board members should be required to go to annual trainings to “acknowledge their understanding of the State Ethics requirements” and “acknowledge their understanding of FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) Compliance.”
None of the staffers who signed the letter could be reached for questions.
“To me it’s a serious allegation to claim that these people are violating FOI and ethics and they don’t substantiate it with any facts. So what I would like to know from these individuals are, give me that information, show me a complaint that you have filed with these agencies,” House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora (R-North Haven) said. “I think it’s pretty serious that they were willing to make an unsubstantiated claim against this board for political purposes, and that’s how I read this document. It’s devoid of any specific allegation, it’s broad-brush on the entire board and I think it is just meant to discredit and slander and it’s not meant to be a viable vote of no-confidence.”
Candelora is represented on the SCSB by Lauren Gauthier.
The staffers are requesting that the appointing authorities, which include Lamont and Candelora, review the conduct of board members and “take immediate action to rectify this situation.”
They are asking for an an independent third party to investigate their claims and for the appointing members to: develop an improvement plan for the board members; create a formal assessment for board members; establish professional standards for board members; and “provide the Chair (Palache) with leadership coaching to promote professional growth.”
This is not the first clash between staff and the SCSB.
Daniels prevented the board from meeting for three months last year after its previous chair, Michael Walsh, left. Daniels claimed the board could not meet because there was not a chair. At the same time, he did not allow members to vote for an interim chair. The issue was resolved when Gov. Ned Lamont, without making an announcement, appointed Palache as the SCSB chair. Palache is also the vice president of a chapter of the Service Employees International Union (32BJ SEIU). Around that time, Lamont also filled another vacancy on the board with James Marpe.
The SCSB staff reports directly to Daniels. Daniels could not be reached for questions.
Palache did not answer questions about the veracity of these allegations, nor what—if anything—is being done to address the complaints. She did make the following statement to Inside Investigator:
“Any time workers take action to highlight concerns in the workplace, it’s critical that those issues are taken seriously. The State Contracting Standards Board (SCSB) was created close to two decades ago, but it has only received necessary funding and staffing within the last year. I share the frustration that the State Contracting Standards Board can often be treated like an afterthought, but as both Board Chair and a union President, I am committed to the success of the Board, protecting taxpayer dollars, and ensuring that staff and Board members are treated with dignity and respect and given the resources they need to fulfill their mission.”
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It took me a while to figure out who’s who or who does what at the State Contracting Standards Board Office. The monthly Board meetings are linked through the SCSB’s Youtube but the camera remains fixed at the back of the room from a distance which makes it nearly impossible to determine who is talking at any given time. And some people sound alike. And some people are remote. And some people never talk or contribute. And some people are absent.
I think what surprises me most about this letter sent by the STAFF to the SCSB’s Appointing Authority is that staff attorney Aaron Felman signed it. I would have to see how it was written but I’m inclined to think Felman wrote the letter. But Greg Daniels could have written it as well. Someone led the charge and I seriously doubt it was Aleshia Hall (Administrative Assistant) or Carmen Hufcut (The Trainer?). And I’m thinking “No” to Maritza Lopez. Martiza is not the architect. I am not sure what it is Maritza Lopez actually does all day in the office other than dream of getting transferred to another department, but she’s doesn’t quite strike me as a the type who leads the charge of the staff brigade. Regardless, Attorney Felman would not follow the lead of an Accounts Examiner. That leaves Samson Anderson, the Research Analyst. Samson is a great biblical character who calls on authority from above to instill him with the courage and strength necessary to destroy a temple and crush his enemies. It works. He gets the support from the above, and kills a bunch of people, including himself in the process. I’m thinking research analyst Samson is not cut from the same cloth as biblical Samson. This band of revolutionaries must have a leader. It’s important that the public know who is in charge so their bravery can be acknowledged.
It is equally if not exponentially more important that the Governor defend his appointees. Lamont personally selected SCSB Chair Rochelle Palache. He spent months vetting top picks to ensure that the best, most qualified candidate for the position stood at the helm of the Board. During this period of great vetting rigor, all Board Meetings were cancelled by Executive Director Daniels. The Board voiced their disapproval. Public Stakeholders voiced their disapproval. The Public supports and empowers Appointing Authorities who, in turn, appoint representatives to protect public interests like taxpayer dollars. Board Members are not employees. They receive an annual stipend, equal in comparison to that of, say, an assistant high school volleyball coach. The money is insignificant, but the responsibility is massive. In fact, the responsibility is so great that at times it looks and feels like a pressure cooker. But it’s not a pressure cooker. There are those that do, and there are those that don’t. The ones “who do” are the ones who seem to have the taxpayers best interests at heart and hand, while the ones “who don’t” are the ones who seem to have an entirely separate agenda apart from the Board’s Mission as stated in the Board’s Mission Statement. But whatever be the case, it’s the Appointing Authorities job to vehemently protect and defend their appointees. In this regard, Vincent Candelora’s job is simple: Defend Lauren Gauthier. That is a good job to have. That is an easy job. Why? Because Lauren takes her job seriously and she’s really, really good at it. She’s a Republican? Awesome. Who are the Democrats?
The staff sent a letter to the Appointing Authority which accuses Lamont appointee and SCSB Chair Rochelle Palache of, amongst other things, issuing poor judgement, disseminating misinformation, being ineffective, engaging in active and passive harassment, intimidation, not being transparent or communicating well, preventing collaboration, making disparaging and rude remarks, preventing accountability, and creating an overall toxic environment and workplace. Not only did Lamont spend 3 painstaking months searching for an ideal reflection of self in his appointee, but the appointee he selected was chosen in close consultation with close friend and political ally, Bloomfield Mayor Danielle Wong. He brought Danielle along with him for support during the WTNH 8 interview following the opening of the 2025 Legislative Session where he talked about PURA and his forthcoming trip to the Capitol for Trump’s Inauguration. I actually like Mayor Wong. She’s cool.
I think the expectation is immediate exile for all staff members who signed that letter. An attack on the Governor’s appointees is the same as an attack on the Governor himself. Lamont will not tolerate it, no sir. He is not happy. Expect justice. Expect it served swiftly. “To Siberia with those staff. ASAP.” –NL
I respect Candelora. Other than the Mission of the Board itself, what is more non-partisan than protecting your own? Nothing. God Bless America
Bryant Abbott
The State Contracting Standards Board (SCSB) is a waste of money. It was created by the Rowland/Rell administration in response to the State Properties Review Board (SPRB) discovering the corruption/contract steering that Rowland was committing. The SCSB was created as a retaliatory effort to replace the SPRB for revealing this corruption, but thankfully, SPRB is still in existence and doing its job as a watchdog against State corruption. The SCSB really needs to be dismantled as it serves no purpose useful to the State. It was created with nefarious intentions to hide corruption. Dismantle it and let the SPRB do its job.