March 28, 2025

Rep. Scott, Sen. Perillo Call for Government Accountability

This article was archived from the previous WordPress site. Formatting and media should be close, but may not match the original post perfectly.

HARTFORD, CT – Representative Tony Scott (R-Monroe) and State Senator Jason Perillo (R-Shelton) echo their Senate and House colleagues by speaking out against the Lamont administration and Democratic lawmakers for allowing unethical behavior in state government to continually go unchecked.

Republicans are asking for the state Inspector General to investigate ongoing scandals and poor management that has been allowed under the Lamont administration. These ethical lapses in judgment include overspending in higher education, a canceled audit, and misuse of government resources.

Rep. Scott said, “You should have confidence that your hard-earned tax dollars are not being wasted on egregious misuse. Transparency through audits or investigations shouldn’t be controversial. This expansion of the Inspector General’s responsibilities wouldn’t be needed if the legislature’s new Government Oversight Committee was doing what the title suggests, and not duplicating what’s being done by the long-standing Government Administration and Elections Committee.”

Sen. Perillo said, “As elected officials, it is our responsibility to ensure that the government operates in a way that serves the best interests of the people. We will not remain silent while corruption occurs right before our eyes. These issues need to be addressed and resolved. It is time for real accountability and all misconduct must be properly investigated.”

Republicans say the Inspector General should have broader investigative authority, ensuring that no official—regardless of political affiliation or position—is shielded from scrutiny. The proposed expanded responsibilities include:

Expand Inspector General (“IG”) responsibilities to investigate fraud, waste, and abuse in the expenditure or use of state resources
Review of Auditors’ reports on Agencies and investigate findings of fraud, waste, and abuse
Intake complaints, including from whistleblowers
Intake referrals from the Auditors and state agencies
Refer cases to state/federal authorities
Recommend policies to limit fraud/waste
Review/make recommendations on legislation
Submit reports to the General Assembly annually starting in 2026
Seek civil recovery of funds