Perez: Relinquish My Duties

Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez says he intends to relinquish his duties.  As WNPR’s Jeff Cohen reports, the mayor’s statement came just minutes after a statement of the city council giving him until early next week to announce his intentions.

 

Perez issued a statement just before five o’clock Friday saying he will appeal the five guilty verdicts against him but that it isn't in the best interest of the city and his family for him to continue as mayor during the appeal.  

 

It’s not immediately clear what that means.  Perez’s staff says the details still need to be worked out.

 

But just minutes earlier, Council President Pedro Segarra – who is next in line to be mayor – read a unanimous statement of the council. 

 

“Today is a difficult day for our city, its residents, and those who deeply care about Hartford.

We hope and anticipate that the mayor will inform us sometime Monday of his future plans. Early next week, the city council is prepared to take action, if necessary, to move Hartford forward.”

 

Some on the council had suggested earlier that Perez resign.  For councilman Jim Boucher, who has years of experience with the mayor, it wasn’t an easy thing to say.

 

“It’s a very hard thing for me to say. It’s painful to say that he needs to consider resigning at this point in time.”

 

Susan McMullen is Perez’s chief of staff.  She spoke with the mayor after the verdict, and she said he was shocked and disappointed.  When it came to the guilty verdict on bribery charges related to work done on his home by a city contractor, McMullen said the truth was misunderstood.

 

"He in a way was taken advantage of. He thought he was doing business with somebody who was a friend who was trying to perhaps use that friendship to other purposes. Maybe there was a certain amount of naivete. But he’s not the kind of person who looks for the worst in people. He looks for the best in people."

 

Perez’s said in his statement that he would be in touch with the city council.