GROTON — State Senator Heather Somers reacted Thursday to reports five executives of the CMEEC utility co-operative were indicted following a two-year FBI probe. Somers led the fight to bring greater transparency to the utility co-op and hold its leadership accountable following revelations executives misused over $1 million hidden in a secret fund on lavish trips.
“The indictments handed down in federal court today represent the culmination of several years of work by legislators, journalists and law enforcement to expose corruption at a public utility co-op,” Somers said. “I applaud the FBI for their diligent investigation that led to these indictments.”
“While struggling Connecticut ratepayers wrestled with the highest electric costs in the continental United States, executives at CMEEC used funds intended to stabilize rates to fund extravagant trips for their own amusement,” Somers continued. “Even worse, the ringleaders of this behavior worked hard to hide their activities from their members, ratepayers and state officials.”
“That’s why I’m proud to have led the charge to bring greater accountability to CMEEC,” Somers said. “I introduced three bills to bring greater transparency to utility co-ops and to prevent this kind of unethical activity from happening again.”
The bills introduced by Somers during the 2017 legislative session included:
- SB-413: An Act Making Municipal Utility Companies’ Books and Financials Subject to Disclosure Under the Freedom of Information Act
- SB-78: An Act Concerning Municipal Electric Utilities Creating Joint Purchasing Agencies
- SB-79: An Act Repealing Sections Regarding Municipal Electric Energy Cooperatives
In testimony in support of the three bills before the Energy and Technology Committee in February of 2017, Somers called for greater transparency and oversight of municipal co-ops to ensure “CMEEC is adhering to its mission to provide low cost, reliable power to the municipal utilities It serves and to ensure that its management and board uphold the highest standard of conduct as it carries out its essential government function.”
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