What’s a Few Million in a Slush Fund

Between Friends?
By TOM MONAHAN
Updated 6:15 PM EDT, Mon, Oct 19, 2009

The state’s two auditors, Democrat Kevin Johnston and Republican Robert Jaekle, says the contingency funds
set up for Governor M. Jodi Rell and for Democratic legislative leaders should be looked into.

Rell used her fund to pay $220,000 to Kenneth Dautrich, director of Public Policy at UConn, to study ways to
streamline state government. Critics have said, however, that the study included information that would help
the governor’s re-election campaign if she decided to seek another term.

Democratic legislators, who have a majority hold on the legislature, have had as much as $4-million in their
fund; Governor Rell and Republican legislators have shared $2 million.

Auditors say the funds are set up to take care of any “minor emergencies” a governor or lawmakers may have
to deal with after a budget has been passed. For example, they say, the money can be used for things like
improvements on a baseball field, building repairs, or minor road work. The dollars usually go to districts
represented by lawmakers who request the funding.

The auditors say the contingency funds have been in effect for at least seven years, maybe longer. But they
agree there should be more oversight of those dollars to make sure they go for the intended purposes.

State Senator Jonathan Harris, a Democrat representing West Hartford, says during these difficult economic
times, the funds should be eliminated altogether.