More stonewalling by the state GOP

This is just nuts.

Partisan disputes and a lack of focus prevented a legislative committee from gaining much momentum Thursday as it continued its probe into whether a state watchdog agency mishandled alleged campaign-financing violations by top Rell-administration appointees.

Republicans mounted a determined resistance to inquiries by majority Democrats at the government administration and elections committee's second day of hearings. The panel is looking into the possible compromise of a State Elections Enforcement Commission case by Executive Director Jeffrey B. Garfield, who gave confidential information to the campaign manager for Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell.


GOP lawmakers accused Rep. Christopher Caruso, D-Bridgeport, the committee co-chairman, and Sen. Edward Meyer, D-Guilford, acting co-chairman, of running a kangaroo court, bungling their questioning of witnesses and unfairly overruling minority objections. They said Democrats unearthed no new facts in more than three hours of questions directed at two Rell aides: former campaign finance director Peggy Deschenes and Daniel Moreland, former executive assistant to chief of staff M. Lisa Moody.

"I think that the Democrats have made clear that this is a partisan fishing expedition intended to embarrass the governor," said House Minority Leader Robert M. Ward, R-North Branford, who attended as a GOP leader.

But Caruso said the GOP was being "obstructionist ... every step of the way" in a legitimate inquiry. The panel must "determine whether or not our watchdog agencies have been compromised," he said.

I hope the Democrats can pick up the pace so we can get to the bottom of this matter. The Republicans are pulling the same tricks they did during the Rowland scandal and should put an end to the delay tactics. If Gov. Rell did nothing wrong, then there is nothing to hide so why are we dealing with the typical GOP stonewalling?