Former New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart suspended her Connecticut gubernatorial campaign Thursday following a report alleging she used a city-issued credit card for personal expenses. The law firm report alleges Stewart’s card was consistently used to fund living costs, potentially implicating statutes related to fraud, larceny, and embezzlement.
Successor Mayor Bobby Sanchez referred the findings to state and federal prosecutors while Connecticut State Police confirmed they have opened an investigation. Investigators cited social media posts appearing to show Stewart using items purchased with government funds. Stewart previously denied directing the backdating of tax payments before her administration ended.
Stewart stated she would take accountability for any mistakes and intends to make full restitution to New Britain for anything owed. The former mayor announced she is stepping back from public life and urged supporters to back Senator Ryan Fazio for the nomination.
The campaign suspension and criminal investigation have drawn significant scrutiny from Connecticut residents and political observers who are analyzing her mayoral spending records.
Connecticut Demands a Probe After Campaign Suspension
“Lock her up!” posted one observer who argued that “any of us normals would be going to jail for a decent stretch” if they had embezzled $200,000.
“You abused the system and still think you’re just going to be able to pay things back and make things right??” questioned one former supporter who felt betrayed by the candidate.
“Accidentally using the wrong credit card or Amazon account once or twice is a mistake – such an obvious pattern of behavior over YEARS is not a mistake,” argued another resident.
“If you’re going to commit fraud, don’t post all of the damn evidence on your public social media,” observed one participant after reviewing the published investigative report.
“I am listening to someone say she has good ideas,” noted one individual while acknowledging that the credit card misdeeds remained a significant hurdle for the campaign.
“Good. I really just don’t understand why you would exercise such poor judgement if you had bigger political ambitions…” shared one commenter who questioned the candidate’s long-term strategy.
The public demands for incarceration and restitution maintain significant pressure on state investigators as the probe into Stewart’s mayoral spending continues.
