Ex-Mayor Stewart Suspends CT Gov Campaign After $207,000 Misuse Report

Former New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart suspended her Republican campaign for Connecticut governor on Thursday, hours after city officials released a report accusing her of misusing more than $207,000 in taxpayer funds through a city-issued credit card for personal and unauthorized expenses.

The report, prepared by the independent Crumbie Law Group and commissioned by current Mayor Bobby Sanchez, examined Stewart's purchases from June 2016 to November 2025. It found that of the total $207,076 spent on her procurement card, or P-card, $123,018 lacked supporting documentation. Specific expenditures included $47,582 on Amazon, much of it unrelated to city business, such as decorations and favors for her daughter's Peppa Pig-themed birthday party in 2022, which investigators linked to social media photos. Other charges covered $19,261 at the private Hartford Club, $19,223 at Costco, and $7,476 on Instacart. The report also documented purchases of clothing, jewelry, maternity items, and baby supplies coinciding with her children's births, as well as items like microphones used in her gubernatorial campaign videos.

Investigators noted instances of improper categorization, such as...