Free Republic

Congresswoman, Rep. Elizabeth Esty will not run for re-election after facing intense criticism for mishandling domestic violence allegations against her since-fired chief of staff. Here is the full statement from her office: From being a room parent in a first grade classroom to serving on the library board, town council, state house and U.S. Congress, I went into public service to fight for equality, justice, and fairness. It is one of the greatest honors of my life that the people of Connecticut’s Fifth District elected me to represent them in Congress. However, I have determined that it is in the...

HARTFORD, Conn. — Some Connecticut Democrats are calling for their embattled colleague U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty to step down for not protecting female staffers who say they experienced violence, death threats and sexual harassment by her former chief of staff. Esty is an outspoken advocate for the #MeToo movement. She has apologized for not protecting the staffers in her Washington office but has dismissed calls for her to resign. Former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz (BY'-suh-wits) says the "emerging story regarding battery, harassment and threatening" from Esty's ex-chief of staff and Esty's handling of the response are "very troubling."...

Democratic Rep. Elizabeth Esty, who has apologized after she kept on a top aide for several months despite having learned of abuse allegations against him, said Friday that she has no plans to resign. "For those who have asked, I want to be clear that I am not resigning," the Connecticut lawmaker said in a statement to CNN. "I have important work to do in Congress including building on the lessons of this horrible series of events." Esty entered into a nondisclosure agreement with her former chief of staff Tony Baker and wrote a reference letter for him even after...

As a way to reduce gun violence, elected leaders urged retailers to consider voluntary measures to make their stores safer. Friday, Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy joined Rep. Elizabeth Esty, Ron Pinciaro of Connecticut Against Gun Violence and Monte Frank of Team 26 for a press conference. The officials called on the National Retail Federation to join the bipartisan push for "commonsense measures to reduce gun violence." The legislators said there have been an estimated 79 shootings and 19 fatalities at Walmart alone since the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. They also referred to the loaded handgun that...

With a $2 million bankroll and heavy advertising, Elizabeth Esty won the high-profile Democratic primary for the 5th Congressional District. Now, she has to win a quieter, if still crucial campaign for the support of organized labor. The first test will come Wednesday when the Connecticut AFL-CIO's political committee meets to consider transferring its backing to Esty from Christopher G. Donovan, the union favorite she defeated in a three-way primary. Esty, who voted against labor on a handful of key items during her single term in the General Assembly, concedes she has little hope of defeating Republican Andrew Roraback in...