A Republican Connecticut gubernatorial candidate suspended her campaign Thursday after being accused of fraud.
Erin Stewart, the former mayor of New Britain, was accused by Crumbie Law Group, a law firm hired by her democratic successor to investigate rumors of wrongdoing, of spending $207,076.07 on a government credit card during her tenure without disclosing how the funds were used. The bombshell allegations came just days ahead of a primary she was favored to win and were cited as the reason for her campaign’s suspension.
She said the allegations had “understandably taken over this race and diverted attention away from the critical mission of saving our state from high taxes, high costs, the most expensive energy in America, and low opportunity for young people.”
“I take the allegations that have been made against me very seriously. And for that reason, I am suspending my gubernatorial campaign effective immediately so that I can focus on addressing those claims,” Stewart added. “Yesterday I requested copies of the relevant documents and I will be reviewing them carefully. I will take accountability for any mistakes, and I intend to make full and complete restitution to the City of New Britain — my home — for anything that I owe.”
She went on to thank her supporters and team, which she hailed as the “best political team in Connecticut.” The former mayor went so far as to say she “truly” believes that she would have defeated Gov. Ned Lamont (D-CT) in the deep-blue state.
Stewart gave her “full support” to state Sen. Ryan Fazio, who is facing off against Newsmax host Betsy McCaughey.
Incumbent New Britain Mayor Bobby Sanchez called the allegations against Stewart “outrageous,” saying the investigation confirmed that “there was a deeply troubling pattern of abuse involving public funds, repeated violations of City policy, and conduct that represented a serious breach of the public trust.”
He pledged that the city would “be pursuing all appropriate legal avenues to recover taxpayer funds whenever possible, including seeking restitution from the former mayor for any improper or unauthorized expenditures identified through this investigation.”
According to the investigation, among the many purchases on the government credit card was $47,582.42 spent on Amazon, $19,260.67 at the private Hartford Club, $19,222.97 at Costco, and $7,476.18 on Instacart.
“The report further concludes that these were not isolated incidents, but a consistent pattern of conduct that investigators say violated City policy and undermined public confidence in government,” Sanchez said, claiming that among the expenses on the card was spending on “family expenses, political-related activity, private club memberships, clothing, gifts, travel,” and other nongovernment-related matters.
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The expenses were made from 2016 to 2025. The government credit card policy demands that holders don’t use them for “any non-business, non-essential purpose, i.e., for any personal purchase or any other transaction that is not authorized by City Department Directors.”
The cardholder agreement also warns that the “employee will be held liable for any unauthorized purchases made by the employee which appear on the city’s credit card statement.”