Erin Stewart, who served as mayor of New Britain for 12 years, is facing allegations of misconduct, including the misuse of a city-issued credit card and seeking financial benefits she was not entitled to.

Investigations and Allegations

After her term ended in November, Stewart announced her intention to run for Connecticut governor on the Republican ticket. However, her campaign was suspended in May after several investigative reports were made public, including one that alleged she had used the city credit card for personal expenditures, such as women’s clothing, makeup, and an ice maker.

Stewart also sought a ‘deferred partial retirement pension’ during her final term as mayor, which is a benefit that does not exist in the city’s charter. The city’s charter states that any elected official who has served for 20 years can be entitled to an annual pension at half their salary. Since Stewart only served for 14 years, she did not appear to be eligible.

In addition, Stewart demanded over $205,000 in unused vacation, holiday, sick, and personal days as elected mayor, which was not allowed under the city’s payout policies. She had received $121,978 in separation payments before they were cut off in February.

Federal Investigation

A federal grand jury has issued a subpoena demanding New Britain produce documents related to Stewart’s city credit card use, confirming that federal authorities have opened an investigation. The Connecticut attorney general and commissioner of consumer protection are also investigating Stewart’s connections to a charity fund.

Original reporting: The Connecticut Mirror — read the source article.