Candidate Parlato Alleges Official's 'Unusual Absence,' Town Responds

EAST HAVEN, CT — East Haven Town Councilwoman, Republican Samantha “Sam” Parlato, who just announced her possible bid to become the town's next mayor, said she has "grave concerns" about the“unusual and unexplained absence” of the town's economic development director.

In a news release from her mayoral campaign to Patch, Parlato said she filed a Freedom of Information request for the employment records of Jamie Cuticello who she claims has been "essentially been missing for months and there has been no communication about or explanation for his unusual and unexplained absence."

"We budget to pay that position tens of thousands of dollars and I have grave concerns that we’ve been wasting taxpayer dollars and getting little, or no services, in return for those dollars,” Parlato was quoted as saying.

Town Attorney Michael Luzzi said the "town has received, via several town employees and Mayor Joseph A. Carfora, a FOIA request from Ms. Samantha Parlato in her personal capacity about Jamie Cuticello."

"I am responding in my official capacity as Town Attorney, and do so, as required by law. This is a personnel matter, so we are required to inform Mr. Cuticello about her inquiry," he said in a statement emailed to Patch. "As for her apparent campaign press release, I will not comment, but direct you to Mayor Carfora."

Cuticello, hired in the spring of 2022, was an Army senior logistics officer during Operation Enduring Freedom in Africa. He has years of experience in finance, project management, and strategic planning with budget and accounting leadership roles with the CT National Guard and Travelers Insurance. A current serving member of the CT Army National Guard, he graduated from U.S. Army Officer Candidate School in Fort Benning Georgia in 2012 and held Command and Senior Logistics positions most recently in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Parlato noted that she's aware he's a reservist and "it was anticipated that there would be times Mr. Cuticello would be away."

"However, we allocated tens of thousands of dollars for this very critical leadership position and I am fearful that taxpayer dollars are being wasted and that the town has been missing grant and economic development opportunities," she said. She wants answers about whether his email is being checked and who's been doing his job. She pointed to Economic Development Commission meeting minutes where he's not been in attendance.

P“From July of 2022 through December, the town website indicates that economic development commission meetings were cancelled nine times," she said. "It appears that meetings were cancelled entirely in March, April, August, and December. How can anyone say the town is prioritizing economic growth if the commission tasked with overseeing that growth isn’t even reliably meeting?”

She's asking for "employment, pay, and email records to determine if the town is still paying Mr. Cuticello."

Carfora, who told Patch that Paralto's FOIA requests were not done in "her capacity as a Town Council official," said that after checking, "there is absolutely no indication that Ms. Parlato asked a single question about Jamie or his position at the monthly administrative services committee which sets the agenda for the Town Council, or during any actual Town Council meeting or about the impact, if any, Jamie's absence from certain meetings has had."

"Honestly, as the father of a United States Marine Corps Veteran I find it sad and disappointing that a sitting member of our Council, instead of raising this in the proper execution of her duties, has chosen to politicize Jamie, an active and decorated United States Army Reservist who saw multiple tours of duty overseas, one of which was combat duty, in an effort for political gain as a candidate," Carfora said.

Parlato is demanding an accounting of his time and other answers.

“If Mr. Cuticello has been away for long stretches, we deserve an explanation as to why and who has been picking up the slack in his absence," Parlato said. "If it turns out we’ve been paying Mr. Cuticello and not getting much, or anything, in return, I’m going to be looking for a justification for what would clearly be a waste of taxpayer money.”

Carfora told Patch he'll not comment further on Parlato's statements.

"I have no additional comment," he said. "The town’s legal staff handles these matters."