Perez Gone From Hartford City Hall, But Not Gone From City Politics
NOTE: Audio to follow
By Jeff Cohen - WNPR
Published: Mar 28, 2011
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Hartford City Council President rJo Winch
Photo:Chion Wolf/WNPR
In Hartford, convicted former Mayor Eddie Perez is gone from city hall. But he’s not gone from city politics. As WNPR's Jeff Cohen reports, former Perez allies are questioning the judgment of current Mayor Pedro Segarra.
Segarra says it’s kind of strange to be criticized by allies of the man who's going to prison.
“To blame me for transactions that were done by the previous administration by members of the previous administration are a little bit incoherent.”
Perez was found guilty of taking a bribe from a city contractor last year. The contractor, Carlos Costa, recently pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in the case.
Meanwhile, Costa and the city fought in civil court over whether he had been paid enough for his city work. In the end, the city council approved a nearly $500,000 court mediated settlement.
But at least two Perez allies have called the Costa settlement into question. State Representative and possible mayoral candidate Kelvin Roldan worked for Perez at city hall. He said in a press release that Segarra and the city shouldn't pay anything to a corrupt contractor for a project he said was compromised by bribery.
Roldan said he didn't have time for an interview. But rJo Winch, the president of the city council, did. She’s another ally of the former mayor and was also quoted in Roldan’s campaign release - in which she called Costa corrupt.
WINCH: I didn’t call him corrupt.
COHEN: In the press release you did.
WINCH: I have to read the press release to see exactly what that said, because I normally don’t call people outside of their names…
COHEN: I’ll read it for you…
WINCH: Read it for me.
COHEN: “I think Hartford City government has to show that it is serious about operating government in a responsible manner. Rewarding a corrupt contractor..."
Winch calls Costa corrupt, and says his deal with the Perez administration was influenced by bribery. But she says Perez -- the man convicted of taking Costa's bribe -- is clean.
WINCH: I don’t believe to this day that it was proven that Perez took a bribe.
So...Even though Eddie Perez likely won't be a part of this year's mayoral race, one thing is clear -- his legacy will be.
For WNPR, I’m Jeff Cohen.
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Comments
Pedro is correct; this move
Pedro is correct; this move by Roldan/Winch is incoherent. In her case incoherence is inherent, but Roldan's is apparently provoked by gross cynicism. Neither called for the last Mayor to go, and Roldan himself was involved in and/or aware of Perez's doings. It would be an improvement if neither of them were further engaged in "operating government." In the mean time, as long as they're intent on focusing on bygones, how about they demand that Eddie and his Mrs. give Costa back their kitchen/bath counter tops?
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