New Britain mayor's city credit card: most of $200,000 in charges improper, probe found
An investigation by Crumbie Law Group, hired by the City of New Britain and reported in May 2026, found that most of the more than $200,000 former Mayor Erin Stewart charged to her city-issued purchasing card over nearly a decade was improper. Documents also showed taxpayers paid for her master's degree. Stewart, then the Republican front-runner for governor, quit the race on May 14 and has made no public statements since. The city has asked her to repay $241,560 for tuition reimbursements, severance and investigation legal costs. On June 3, 2026 Attorney General William Tong and the Department of Consumer Protection opened an inquiry into her handling of the Mayor's Trophy Charitable Fund, after the city's inquiry found two accounts with the same name, and a federal grand jury subpoenaed city records on the card, tuition, a club membership and the fund. No charges have been filed.
Stewart was the front-runner for the Republican nomination of governor until quitting the race on May 14.
Stewart's attorney has not responded to requests for comment.
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