New Haven Mayor Toni Harp says she doesn’t believe the wife of her political challenger initiated an FBI investigation of city hall. Harp is running for re-election this year.
Harp says the FBI investigation has nothing to do with her office even though the city’s youth director, Jason Bartlett, has had to resign as the manager of her campaign.
“The request that was made had nothing to do with the mayor’s office at all. It’s all focused on our youth department.”
Harp is distancing herself from an allegation by her campaign that federal prosecutor Natalie Elicker, the wife of her Democratic Party primary challenger Justin Elicker, influenced the FBI investigation.
“I don’t believe that she is involved in this at all. Just like during the first time I ran against Mr. Elicker, my husband, who’d passed away by the way, was the subject of many things. It’s unfortunate that people go there.”
Harp defeated Elicker in the Democratic primary for mayor in 2013. Elicker then ran as an independent in the general election and lost.
