City violated FOI law, officer says – Republican-American

WATERBURY – The city violated the state Freedom of Information Act by failing to release emails about appointments to the redistricting commission that created the new aldermanic wards, according to a state hearing officer.

Activist Jimmie Griffin, who is a petitioning mayoral candidate, had sought the release of these emails, which he believes would prove city politicians were trying to influence the outcome of the new aldermen-by-district election system, but the city denied his records request, saying the records didn’t exist.

Last year, Board of Aldermen President Paul K. Pernerewski Jr. solicited applications from would-be commission members in the Republican-American, directing people to email resumes to the majority and minority leaders, Anthony T. Piccochi and Paul V. Ciochetti. Griffin himself emailed applications to both, he said in his written complaint to the Freedom of Information Commission.

The city said the email addresses that Griffin used may have been inaccurate or belonged to an alderman’s spouse, but the hearing officer found the addresses that Griffin used were listed as the majority and minority leaders’ email addresses on the city website. Last week, [Read More]