President Donald Trump is expected to name retired federal prosecutor and 2020 Republican Congressional candidate David Sullivan as the interim U.S. Attorney for Connecticut.
State Republicans already have a list of things they’d like him to look into.
On Thursday before the story broke, Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding (R-Brookfield) said he’d like the office to look into Governor Ned Lamont’s handling of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority; specifically, the deal to put a state senator on the board in exchange for his vote to confirm another PURA commissioner. (More on that here.)
“When the new U.S. attorney gets appointed, I do expect that we as an entirety of the Senate Republican Caucus are going to write to that individual and ask them to look into this,” Harding said.
WSHU asked Lamont about the prospect of a potential investigation on Friday, now that the position is likely soon to be filled.
“He can look into anything he wants to, obviously,” Lamont said. “PURA is on track.”
Sullivan is from New Fairfield and has been a lawyer in the state for more than 30 years. In 2020, he unsuccessfully ran as a Republican candidate against U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes.
He is expected to serve in an acting capacity until the U.S. Senate confirms him.
“I hear good things about him,” Lamont said. “I can't tell you more than that, but it's an important job. I look forward to meeting him.”
Earlier this year, Harding wrote to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, asking her to appoint an “aggressive, vigorous and vocal Republican U.S. attorney who shares our values.”
“We noted that Connecticut Republicans continue to call out the rampant and alarming waste, fraud and abuse in state government, but as a super minority party here in Hartford, Connecticut Republicans need all the help we can get from her office,” Harding said in a statement after the news broke.
“This appointment has the potential to help Connecticut immensely,” he continued. “Attorney Sullivan will be hearing from Connecticut Senate Republicans frequently.”
