CT Senate GOP Statement on Former PURA Chair & Staff Misleading Judge

Sen. Stephen Harding, Sen. Ryan Fazio, Sen. Rob Sampson, Sen. Henri Martin, Sen. Eric Berthel, Sen. Jason Perillo, Sen. Heather Somers and Sen. Jeff Gordon today issued the following statement regarding former chief utility regulator Marissa Gillett conceding in court Tuesday that she and her staff knew of the deletion of electronic records, but misled a judge by failing to disclose the erasure and claiming the records could not be located. (https://www.courant.com/2025/10/21/ct-judge-learns-ex-state-official-misled-court-on-records-that-were-erased/?share=iart0tao1cwr5lsatjeo)

“In April, the Senate Republican Caucus boycotted the vote on then-Chair Gillett’s re-nomination.

That decision continues to look better and better.

We walked out of the Senate Chamber in a stark protest against the backroom deal involving a Democrat state senator and the governor that led to the vote. After we walked out, Chair Gillett was then approved by Democrats in a 21-0 vote.

Senate Republicans had no choice but to walk out. We were and remain outraged about the blatant and awful quid pro quo deal between Gov. Lamont and top Democrats.

Senate Republicans would not allow our constituents to be complicit in what had occurred. What happened to get the chairwoman’s vote out of the Executive Nominations Committee smacked of bribery and corruption. It still does. Yet, the governor and Democrats had no problem with it.

Senate Republicans will always side with ratepayers and transparency over bureaucrats and backroom deals.”