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HARTFORD, Conn. -- By all accounts, Robert Matthews prided himself on his list of friends. He hobnobbed with the political glitterati and celebrities. He dropped the biggest of names - Bill Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Billy Joel, Bob Graham - and opened his checkbook to both Democrats and Republicans. And now, the millionaire businessman from New Haven finds himself at the heart of a federal corruption investigation and has contributed to the downfall of his friend, Gov. John G. Rowland. Rowland's resignation, which goes into effect on Thursday, came amid increasing controversy about, among other things, secret real estate deals...

http://www.ctnow.com/news/local/hc-rowlandresign0621-gb,1,1523635.graffitiboard?coll=hc-big-headlines-breaking

Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland will announce his resignation tonight, ending months of speculation and weeks of legislative hearings by the bipartisan House Select Committee. The governor is planning a live television address to the state at 6 p.m

CT Gov. John Rowland to Resign

HARTFORD, Conn. - Gov. John G. Rowland acknowledges it would be easier on his family if he were to step down amid a federal corruption investigation and the threat of impeachment, but he says he plans to stick it out. Although he admitted in December that he accepted gifts from state contractors, the three-term Republican steadfastly maintains he has not done anything wrong because he has not given anyone any state work in exchange for the presents. "People say, 'Oh, he's done things wrong. He's taken gifts.' OK, let's assume half of the stuff is true. I think the more...

Inquiry committee asks lawyer to draft letter of impeachment (Hartford-AP, Apr. 30, 2004 Updated 3:35 PM) _ Members of a special legislative committee that has been considering whether Gov. John G. Rowland should be impeached has asked its lawyer to draft an article of impeachment because he has not fully cooperated with their probe. The decision was prompted when a lawyer for Rowland refused to testify before the House Select Committee of Inquiry, which has been trying to obtain the personal financial records of the governor and his wife. Rowland has been under increasing pressure to resign since admitting in...

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - The attorney for the legislative committee investigating Gov. John G. Rowland said Friday that proof of criminal wrongdoing is not necessary to recommend his impeachment. In a brief to the House Select Committee of Inquiry, Special Counsel Steven Reich wrote that a Connecticut officeholder may be impeached for acts that injure his office or society. Those acts, he said, don't have to violate criminal law. Rowland's attorneys submitted a brief Monday saying impeachment should be reserved for the most grave official misconduct. Ross Garber, the governor's legal counsel, said Friday he believes both sides agree that...

Gov. John G. Rowland said Sunday that the country is witnessing an "explosion of faith," and praised Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of the Christ." "It is unbelievable. It is breathtaking," Rowland said at a groundbreaking ceremony for a Hartford church. "It shakes you to the core of your soul. "But it is the Gospel, and people need to recognize and realize that we need to reach out to faith. We need to reach out to each other and, most importantly, we need to reach out to the power above us." The movie, which grossed $23.6 million on its opening...

HARTFORD, Conn. - The wife of Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland has been subpoenaed by federal authorities investigating alleged corruption in her husband's administration, according to published reports. The subpoena requires Patricia Rowland to produce documents or records, but it does not compel her to appear before a grand jury, The Hartford Courant and the New Haven Register reported Saturday. Patricia Rowland's personal attorney, Robert M. Casale, told the Register the subpoena seeks documents relating to gifts she or the governor may have received. When reached by The Associated Press, the governor's chief counsel, Ross Garber, declined comment. The first...

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Gov. John G. Rowland is proposing higher taxes on cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, beer and wine to help cut a budget deficit, state officials said. Rowland is scheduled to announce details of his new budget proposal Wednesday during his State of the State address to the legislature. The governor is also recommending that the 6 percent sales tax on newspapers continue after the July 1 expiration date, and may also ask lawmakers to retain an increase in one of the state's two inheritance taxes. The tax increases are needed to prevent further cuts in the state budget,...

Gov. John G. Rowland is establishing a legal defense fund, a person close to the administration said yesterday. Last fall, Mr. Rowland hired a prominent criminal defense lawyer, William F. Dow III. The Connecticut governor's supporters are now exploring ways for donors to pay some of the expenses of his legal defense. But the person close to the administration acknowledged that the donations might be scrutinized, given a federal investigation looking into whether the governor received favors from people doing business with the state. In Hartford, more allegations of illegal state contract awards were raised on Friday when the attorney...

HARTFORD, Conn. -- They call themselves cowboys. This small band of about 10 conservative Republicans believe it's their job to round up the "cows" in their state party who've "strayed" and called on fellow Republican Gov. John G. Rowland to resign from office. In recent days, the two-year-old Connecticut Republican Assembly has sent out hundreds of letters and e-mails, asking state Republicans for help. They've also held a meeting to help organize support for the embattled GOP governor.Full article HERE

Gov. John G. Rowland said Tuesday that he is not swayed by the growing number of calls that he resign for accepting gifts from state employees and a state contractor and then lying about it. "I've made mistakes; I've apologized for those mistakes; I've taken responsibility for those mistakes. Now, it's time to govern to get back to work," Rowland said. He was in Cromwell to attend a conference on teen drug use. The governor's remarks came a day after Republican U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays added his voice to the growing chorus within Rowland's own party for Rowland's resignation. In...

State House Democrats met Thursday to discuss whether the House should look into impeaching Governor John Rowland, who has been criticized for accepting free renovations at his summer cottage and lying about it.

FBI, prosecutors investigate Rowland’s complicated car, boat transactions Associated Press 01/09/2004 HARTFORD — The state Department of Motor Vehicles has turned over transaction records on a car and two boats owned by Gov. John G. Rowland to federal authorities investigating corruption in the governor’s administration. The FBI and federal prosecutors are apparently interested in somewhat complex financial arrangements for the car and boats in transactions involving Vincent J. DeRosa, the state’s homeland security director and longtime Rowland friend, The Hartford Courant reported Thursday. The car, a rebuilt 1967 Ford Mustang convertible, was given to Rowland as a birthday present in...

Gov. John G. Rowland appealed to Connecticut voters for another chance to keep his job, even as state legislators prepared to launch a discussion on whether to begin impeachment proceedings against him. Rowland on Wednesday again apologized for accepting gifts at his summer cottage and lying about it, but he insisted he never provided any favors or took any actions in exchange for the gifts. "Tonight, I humbly ask for a renewed opportunity to earn back your trust, to redeem myself in your eyes and to continue to lead this state," Rowland said in a televised address. The three-term Republican,...

<p>Gov. John G. Rowland asked the state for the chance "to earn back your trust" Wednesday as he delivered a televised address that came amid growing pressure to resign for accepting gifts at his summer cottage and lying about it.</p>

KILLINGWORTH, CONN. - Embattled Connecticut Gov. John Rowland has so far insisted that he won't step down. But Kim Denison at the Killingworth True Value Hardware store is convinced it's only a matter of time. "He should resign," she says without missing a beat. "He's a liar, and I don't trust him. He should get out, because he's getting in deeper and deeper every time he opens his mouth." If there were ever a true third rail of American politics, it's lying - at least about things that reflect one's integrity and performance on the job. But Americans' judgments about...

Those of you who are up on Connecticut politics can just have fun - the rest are encouraged to click on the source link first.

Responding to questions for the first time since his admission that he accepted free work on his private cottage from companies doing business with the state, Gov. John G. Rowland said on Friday that he had no influence in the awarding of state contracts, had obeyed state laws and was determined to serve out his term. "This governor, I'm sure other governors in the past, do not call commissioners. We do not try to influence contracts," Mr. Rowland said during a news conference. "We have never done that. I have never done that. Period." At the heart of the controversy...