HARTFORD—House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora (R-North Branford) on Thursday released the following statement in response to CT Mirror reporting on the retirement of OHS Commissioner Deidre Gifford and the DSS audit scandal:

“The DSS fraud scandal is serious enough on its own—but the Governor’s attempt to downplay Commissioner Gifford’s involvement from the outset should alarm Connecticut residents. He had ample opportunity to be transparent about the troubling records that have surfaced yet chose to dodge and deflect. It’s the press—not the Governor—that’s forcing this scandal into the open. From CSCU Chancellor Terrence Cheng to Commissioner Gifford, his pattern of standing by officials mired in controversy erodes public trust and damages confidence in state leadership.”

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