Erin Stewart quits governors race amid new report, police investigation

Key Points:

• Former New Britain mayor Erin Stewart suspended her 2026 gubernatorial campaign following revelations of tens of thousands of dollars in apparent personal expenses charged to her city credit card, including clothing and family party costs.
• A private investigation commissioned by the current mayor, Bobby Sanchez, uncovered questionable spending patterns and possible violations of state campaign finance laws, prompting referrals to state and federal prosecutors and ongoing investigations by state police and the FBI.
• The report alleges Stewart billed the city for political events, maternity and family-related purchases, and personal items, with many charges lacking proper receipts and some items delivered to her home, raising concerns of potential criminal liability for fraud, embezzlement, and misuse of government property.
• Stewart denied wrongdoing, claiming all expenses were documented and audited over her 12 years in office, but the investigation highlighted prior warnings about weak financial controls and her refusal to participate in an in-person interview with investigators.
• The investigation revealed over $207,000 charged to Stewart’s city credit card from 2016 to 2025, with minimal reimbursements made, and concluded that most expenditures were unrelated to official city business and appeared to benefit Stewart and her family personally.