New Britain Demands $241,560 From Erin Stewart, Revokes Pension Over 12-Year Pay Scheme
Updated
Updated · Hartford Business Journal · Jun 10
New Britain Demands $241,560 From Erin Stewart, Revokes Pension Over 12-Year Pay Scheme
3 articles · Updated · Hartford Business Journal · Jun 10
Summary
$241,560 is New Britain’s first restitution demand to former mayor Erin Stewart, covering $107,704 in improper separation pay, $31,561 in tuition reimbursements and $102,294 in legal costs, with payment deadlines running from July 1 to Sept. 1.
The city said Stewart improperly boosted her income over 12 years and warned more claims are coming after a full audit, including repayment of a significant share of $207,076 in city credit-card spending deemed largely unrelated to municipal business.
Crumbie Law Group’s investigation said Stewart’s card use repeatedly bypassed purchasing rules to benefit herself, relatives and political campaigns, a finding that derailed her Republican gubernatorial bid and prompted her to quit on May 14.
Separate June notices also voided pensions for Stewart and former tax collector Cheryl Blogoslawski, with corporation counsel William Rivera saying partial pensions they sought were barred by the city charter, which requires 20 years in elected office.