Sen. Judith G. Freedman (R-26) today described the legislature’s Government Administration & Elections Committee’s inquiry regarding a campaign fundraiser for Governor M. Jodi Rell as nothing more than a partisan witch hunt that will have a chilling effect on the willingness of Connecticut citizens to seek elective office.

“If the Democrat co-chairs of this hearing really cared about holding a fair, even-handed hearing, they would have included Republicans in their plans from the very beginning,” said Sen. Freedman, a ranking member of the GAE Committee.

“A phone call and a couple of last minute e-mails suggesting we talk about things after the Democrats had already decided how this hearing would be conducted is not a bid for bipartisanship. Defeating along party lines most Republican amendments offered during the pre-hearing meeting is a clear signal that bipartisanship is not the order of the day. The bottom line is that the Democrats on this legislative committee decided to hold a hearing into a single campaign event held by a Republican gubernatorial candidate without any input from Republicans. Democrats, who hold the majority, set the rules of the hearing, established the scope of the hearing, and decided what witnesses to call. Republicans on the committee do not have a complete list of witnesses, nor do all Republicans have copies of the documents collected for this hearing. This has all the makings of a kangaroo court,” said Sen. Freedman.

Senator Freedman offered an amendment to direct the legislature’s nonpartisan watchdog committee, the Program Review & Investigations Committee, to look into events regarding Governor Rell’s fundraiser and how those issues were resolved by the Elections Enforcement Commission. She also joined other Republicans in asking that the first witness to be called be Elections Enforcement Commission Executive Director Jeff Garfield. Democrats refused both.

“A hearing of this nature belongs before a nonpartisan committee, not a Democrat-controlled committee with an axe to grind in an election year. People who seek elective office have a right to expect to be treated fairly by the Elections Enforcement Commission, not to worry that one political party or another will pull a stunt like this when they don’t like the way the EEOC handles complaints under our current statutes,” said Sen. Freedman.