Amann Calls Leaked DOT I-95 Exit 33 Redesign Report a Sham; Calls for New Report by Independent Body

Calling the early, secretive release by a Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) staff member of the DOT’s report on the viability of a redesign of I-95’s exit 33 in Milford “underhanded” and a “despicable act of old school political cronyism,” former Connecticut Speaker of the House James Amann, who represents the Devon/Stratford Merchants and Citizens Association and is the former chairman of the group’s predecessor organization, slammed the report as biased, questioned the methodology employed by the DOT in producing the report and called for a new report to be performed by an qualified independent third party, according to a prepared statement by Amann.

The DOT report, requested by Milford Mayor Benjamin Blake, in response to concerns expressed by local Milford and Stratford citizens and nearby affected businesses, was to be first provided to Blake before being released to the public, Amann said.

Amann’s full statement continues to state that:

Instead, Amann learned from Blake following the mayor’s conversation with a DOT official, that Pamela Sucato, a Legislative Program Manager for the Department of Transportation, had sent a copy of the report prior to its official release to Stratford Mayor John Harkins, a vocal proponent of the project.

The report, favorable to the redesign project, prompted a 12:30 p.m. press conference on Tuesday by Mayor Harkins touting the purported benefits of the project.

Amann learned of the release of the report at about noontime when he was confronted by a local television reporter who possessed a copy of the report, asking Amann if he had seen it.

As late as just prior to Harkins’ 12:30 p.m. press conference, according to Amann, neither he, Mayor Blake, members of the Devon/Stratford Merchants and Citizens Association nor other Milford officials had been apprised of its release.

In fact, said Amann, following his interview with the television reporter, and before the press conference, Mayor Blake informed him that he had not yet received the report nor had he been advised when it would be released.

Soon thereafter, Mayor Blake placed a call into the DOT and was assured by representatives that the report had not yet been officially released. Mayor Blake finally received the report, said Amann, at 3:00 p.m.

“This is just the kind of old school political games we’ve been trying to get rid of in Connecticut,” said Amann. “I am appalled and disgusted that a DOT staffer would leak this report to a Mayor of a Connecticut city. The deception and underhandedness with which this report was leaked by the DOT to Mayor Harkins, a known proponent of the project – and the person who stands to gain most from the project’s completion – rather than being properly issued to Mayor Blake, the person who had requested the report, completely discredits this report. No one should believe anything they have read in this report or heard at Mayor Harkin’s press conference.

“I will be calling for a thorough investigation into how the report was leaked and under whose orders and will request a new report be commissioned by an unbiased, independent and qualified third party.”