Republicans in the state legislature are calling for a new process aimed at reforming and bringing more transparency to the process by which earmarks are added to the budget.

Sen. Stephen Harding, R-Brookfield, outlined a proposal Republicans are introducing and hoping will be included in a potential upcoming special session. Their concept would require organizations seeking taxpayer dollars through earmarks to submit a written request to the Appropriations Committee outlining how much money they are requesting, what the money would be used for, and how it furthers a public purpose. Organizations submitting requests would also have to attend a public hearing along with the agency with oversight for the type of funds they would be receiving.

The proposal would also require third parties who receive grant funds from an organization that received money through the budget to be subject to random audits. They would also be required to submit financial information, including the amount of funds spent on administrative costs, lobbying costs, and how third-party recipients of grant funds spent any money they received.

Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, said that the proposal would mirror federal grant processes and require a lawmaker submitting an earmark request to be named.

At a press conference announcing the proposal, Harding framed it as a response to issues of fraud and corruption. Harding said Connecticut is moving back toward a trend of corruption, fraud, and waste of taxpayer money, where things are “worse off” than in years the state was known as ‘Corrupticut.’

Harding said it seemed like Republicans are “the only ones in the room” saying anything about what they allege is a culture of fraud.

“Essentially, what is going on here is the candy store is open in the state of Connecticut with our state employees and different organizations that are receiving these grants within our state budgets and these line items and the Democrats and the one-party rule they have and this absentee governor are doing nothing about it.” Harding said.

Republicans referenced multiple ongoing trials and probes relating to the misuse of state funds, including the Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis trial. Diamantis allegedly solicited bribes from construction companies in exchange for awarding contracts on state-funded construction projects while heading the state Office of School Construction Grants and Review.

A federal probe has also been launched into the relationship between Sen. Doug McCrory, D-Bloomfield, and Sonserae Cicero-Hamlin, the founder of the Society for Human Engagement and Business Alignment (SHEBA), which received $500,000 in state funds through the Hartford Economic Development Corporation (HEDCO) in 2021.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is also investigating other Hartford-area nonprofits after the Blue Hills Civic Association reportedly lost $300,000 in state funds it was attempting to wire to another organization. The nonprofit allegedly delayed alerting the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) on the advice of McCrory.

At the press conference, Republicans referenced these probes and also pointed to specific earmarks from the most recent budget and other legislation passed this year that they say went to organizations that they could not trace, or that went to organizations they say have ties to sitting legislators.

Harding mentioned an organization called Jeep Enthusiast of Connecticut that received $5,000 in state funds that they could not trace. Inside Investigator was able to locate a private Facebook group that identifies itself as a community organization and nonprofit, but could find no further information.

“You have Democrats that literally herniate themselves in this building to get in front of a microphone every time there’s a potential federal cut that isn’t even federalized. But meanwhile, they have no problem handing out $5,000 to Jeep Enthusiast of [Connecticut]. They have no problem handing out a quarter million dollars to organizations that aren’t even registered in Connecticut. This is taxpayer money.” Harding said.

Comments made by Republicans were often politically charged, laying blame for the perceived culture of fraud and corruption at the feet of Democrats and claiming Republicans are the only politicians asking for reforms. Republicans also charged that the only path to get funding through earmarks is to go to a Democratic lawmaker.

Sen. Rob Sampson, R-Wolcott, also identified several organizations he said he has worked to identify but not been able to find information on, including Athletes R Us, Inc., which received $250,000 in the budget. He said the organization appears to be “little more than an Instagram account.” Sampson also mentioned Bread Room, Inc., which received $17,000. Sampson said he could find no record of that organization existing.

Additionally, Sampson mentioned earmarks received by The UnGroup Society that he says the nonprofit received while their website was actively fundraising for a sitting Senator, and Black Girls Get LegalTee, Inc., which he claims was started by the sister of a sitting legislator. An Instagram account appearing to belong to the nonprofit has two posts. Inside Investigator could not locate a website.

Sampson said he has worked to identify the organizations who have received funds but have been unable to in many cases.

Sampson also identified a number of nonprofits, including Planned Parenthood of Southern New England and The Iris Network, that he claimed receive earmarks essentially as political favors from Democrats. He said earmarks frequently appear in budgets “at the last minute,” with only a name and a dollar amount and without any transparency about how they’re allocated. Sampson called this a “secretive, back-door process.”

“While we’re all tightening our belt and constituents are doing the same, the Democratic majority are treating tax dollars like it’s their own personal currency.” Sampson said.

Sampson said that while he believes many organizations that receive earmarks are “completely legitimate,” he believed comments made by Speaker of the House Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, about what he considers when evaluating earmark requests submitted by legislators show the process is “being used for political purposes to help out his own members who might be in difficult districts or to create political largess to stay in power.” He likened the process to “juicing re-elections” with taxpayer money.

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