Sen. Harding: CT GOP Was “Absolutely Right” to Sound Alarm Bells on OVG Deal

Sen. Stephen Harding today issued the following statement regarding news report which reveals that the Capital Region Development Authority contacted state auditors and the comptroller’s office in September with concerns about the Oak View Group’s (OVG) possible “illegal, irregular or unsafe handling of funds” collected at the PeoplesBank Arena, formerly the XL Center, in Hartford. (https://insideinvestigator.org/crda-warn-state-of-possible-oak-view-group-financial-irregularities/)

“More than 15 months ago, Republicans were sounding alarm bells and questioning the OVG deal.

We noted how the state had joined a U.S. Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, the latter of which has a close relationship with OVG.

We noted how this deal involves an arena-sized amount of Connecticut taxpayer dollars. It involves a multi-million, multi-decades-long contract which binds UConn and involves an entity that is being investigated by the federal Department of Justice for anti-competitive behavior.

We Republicans said this should raise a big red flag for all political parties and for all who want to see downtown Hartford and UConn sports thrive.

As it now turns out, Republicans were absolutely right to speak out about our skepticism.

We continue to demand full transparency and accountability, now and in the future.”