Even as U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy launched his own “jobs tour” in his quest for the U.S. Senate, the race for his Fifth District seat in Congress took another bizarre turn following a reported grand jury investigation into any business ties between former Gov. John Rowland and a Republican candidate.
Blogger Kevin Rennie on Monday reported that a federal grand jury is looking into a contract Rowland received from the spouse of candidate Lisa Wilson-Foley, who is locked in a tight race for the Republican nomination to seek the Fifth District this fall. Her husband Brian Foley is CEO of Apple Rehab, a Connecticut-based nursing home chain.
The Hartford Courant reported the contract could run afoul of Federal Election Commission rules if Rowland consulted for Wilson-Foley on political matters without disclosing the payment under applicable campaign finance rules.
Rowland served a prison term after pleading guilty to fraud charges stemming from unpaid renovation work performed on a home. He is now a talk-show host with WTIC-AM and reportedly declined comment.
Last month, the Democrat race for the Fifth District was thrown in disarray after federal prosecutors filed pay-to-play charges against the finance director of party frontrunner and state Rep. Chris Donovan. Donovan has not been charged and says he has done nothing improper.
