House GOP Leader Candelora Statement on the Arrest of Rep. DiMassa

HARTFORD — House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora (R-86) today released the following statement regarding the arrest of state Rep. Michael DiMassa: "While I’m hopeful that the disturbing allegations against Representative DiMassa in West Haven are a one-off, this case should be a wakeup call to the governor and the public at large. A staggering amount of federal relief funds has flowed into Connecticut, and the governor has taken advantage of every opportunity to trumpet all the new programs and grants made possible by these funds and tout the overall positive impact this money can have on our state and its residents. But with such a large amount of federal money comes tremendous responsibility, and we’ve reached a critical juncture where it’s not only time for residents to demand accountability and look beyond the governor’s press releases, but for the governor himself to do his part to meet the public halfway and explain exactly how he’ll measure the success of his own initiatives and what his administration is doing to track whether funds provided to various entities are being used appropriately. Through his repeated requests to extend his emergency powers, the governor has made it clear that he wants to be in charge, but that responsibility also includes the obligation to reassure the public that he’ll settle for nothing less than absolute transparency in how these historic levels of federal funds are spent."