John G. Rowland
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John Grosvenor Rowland (born May 24, 1957) was the Governor of Connecticut from 1995 to 2004. He is married to Patty Rowland, his second wife, and the couple have five children between them. In 2004, Rowland pleaded guilty to corruption charges. He served ten months in a federal prison until February 10, 2006, followed by four months house arrest at his home in West Hartford, Connecticut until June, 2006. His lieutenant governor was M. Jodi Rell, now the governor of Connecticut.
Political career
A member of the Republican Party, Rowland's political career began in 1980 when, at age 23, he was elected to the Connecticut State House of Representatives. He held his seat until 1984, when he was elected to represent Connecticut's 5th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, where he served three consecutive terms.After losing the 1990 gubernatorial race to Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., Rowland worked as a consultant for United Technologies Corp. He was later elected governor in 1994 at age 37 (the youngest governor in Connecticut history), and later defeated Democratic challengers former US Congresswoman Barbara Bailey Kennelly 63%-35% in 1998, and former State Comptroller Bill Curry, 54%-46% in 2002.
Rowland resigned as Governor of Connecticut effective July 1, 2004. Lieutenant Governor M. Jodi Rell is serving out the remainder of his term.
Rowland is the only Connecticut governor to ever face impeachment and he is the only Connecticut governor to serve prison time.
Spousal abuse allegations
Rowland's first wife divorced him before he was elected governor in 1994 and filed a spousal abuse charge in June 1995, but Rowland has never been charged or arrested for domestic violence. There was a request filed under the FOIA which is available at the [state website]. Police reports not resulting in arrest are not required to be released.Accomplishment as Governor
Even during the years that Rowland was in office, the state enjoyed record-breaking surpluses, state spending increased only modestly, with real spending growth rates of just over two percent annually between 1995 and 2003. For the first time in state history, tax rebate checks were returned to taxpayers in 1998 and again in 1999.During those years, the state invested more than $2 billion to rebuild the University of Connecticut, which is now New England’s top public university. Major investments were also made in the Connecticut State University and Community Technical College systems; enrollments as of 2004 were at an all-time high.
As of 2004, Connecticut students led the nation in performance, and the number of spaces in pre-school programs more than doubled during his term in office.
During his term, more than 455,000 acres of open space were preserved for future generations and state parks were revitalized. Rowland also led an aggressive clean-up and protection effort for Long Island Sound.
The Adriaen’s Landing project, the most ambitious capitol city development project in decades in the state, continued to progress during Rowland's time in office. New college campuses were moved and brought thousands downtown in Hartford, Stamford, Bridgeport and Waterbury. New London’s waterfront was thriving as of 2004, with a new global research facility and rebuilt pier. Theaters and museums in all major cities were been revitalized, from the Palace Theater in Waterbury to the New Britain’s Museum of American Art.
In 1998, Rowland implemented the HUSKY Plan (HealthCare for Uninsured Kids and Youth) to provide health insurance to uninsured Connecticut children. During his tenure, the budget for the Department of Children and Families more than doubled. Rowland supported the creation of the state’s first Child Advocate. http://www.ct.gov/governorrowland/cwp/view.asp?a=3&Q=260294&governorrowlandNav=|] State of Connecticut Archive of Governor's Bio]
Corruption as governor
Impeachment process and Federal case
In the first year of Rowland's third term, rumors began circulating that contractors doing business with the state paid for and made improvements to his weekend cottage, that he benefited improperly from the sale of a condominium in Washington, D.C. at an inflated price, that he took gifts from subordinates in state government, and that he took partial ownership in businesses immediately before they were granted state contracts. These eventually led to federal investigations and then indictments of some of Rowland's close aides, who then cooperated with federal investigators.Rumors continued that the investigation was building a case against Rowland himself; Rowland publicly denied the allegations.
However, in December 2003, Rowland abruptly appeared on television and admitted that work had been done by contractors on his cottage at no charge, and that his earlier statements to the contrary were untrue. Matters were exacerbated when his wife, Patty Rowland, wrote a satiric [poem] deriding the media for investigating her husband's admitted wrongdoing.
He claimed that since the work was done he had paid the contractors in full, but in January 2004, an official investigation began into charges of corruption, and whether he should face impeachment.
On April 30, a special investigation panel started the impeachment process. On June 18, the Connecticut Supreme Court required Rowland to appear before the investigative panel seeking his testimony, which could have resulted in him giving evidence against himself in the ongoing criminal investigation. On June 21, Rowland's lawyers announced that he would resign. The resignation went into effect at noon on July 1.
On December 23, 2004, Rowland pleaded guilty to stealing honest service. The Hartford Courant reported that the plea came after the assistant U.S. Attorney Nora Dannehy was planning to convene a grand jury to investigate racketeering and conspiracy charges against him. His plea bargain included granting his choice of the judge who would impose his sentence.
Rowland was sentenced on March 18, 2005, in New Haven, Connecticut to one year and one day in prison, four months house arrest, three years probation and community service. On April 1 he entered the Federal Correctional Institution in Loretto, Pennsylvania. His Federal inmate number is 15623-014.
After prison
On February 10, 2006, Rowland was released from federal prison with the stipulation that he serve four months house arrest with an electronic ankle bracelet monitor.On July 1, 2006, Rowland spoke to an association of scholar athletes in Kingston, Rhode Island, about the lessons he learned. A "sense of entitlement" and the "arrogance of power" were two of the biggest things that ended of his political career, The Hartford Courant quoted him as saying.[link] Hartford Courant, "Rowland Recounts Lessons Learned" By Valerie Finholm, Courant staff writer July 2, 2006
He warned that the arrogance is very easy when you're put on a pedestal, and you "start to believe your own press releases. ... It [becomes] all about me. You start to block out what else is around you."[link] Hartford Courant, "Rowland Recounts Lessons Learned" By Valerie Finholm, Courant staff writer July 2, 2006
The Courant quoted Rowland as saying that "when you start to find yourself only concerned with yourself" that's the point when you need to find a "grounding force." That should be faith, ideally, he said, or at least "something within yourself" -- not just other people.[link] Hartford Courant, "Rowland Recounts Lessons Learned" By Valerie Finholm, Courant staff writer July 2, 2006
"I found in my career that a lot of people will tell you how great you are - especially when you're the boss. But there will be that time when that career will be over ... and then it's down to the three F's - faith, family and friends - real faith, real family and real friends."[link] Hartford Courant, "Rowland Recounts Lessons Learned" By Valerie Finholm, Courant staff writer July 2, 2006
Rowland, now a resident of West Hartford, told the audience his future is still uncertain. He owes the Internal Revenue Service more than $35,000 and another $40,000 in fines. He said he's a volunteer counselor and hoping to find a publisher for a book he wrote called, "Falling Into Grace."[link] "Former Conn. governor makes his first speech after prison," By Ray Henry, Associated Press Writer, July 1, 2006, accessed from Web site of the Boston Globe on July 2, 2006
Further investigations
Investigations by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and by a state legislative committee concerning several separate possible improprieties by him and associates, ensued after Rowland's resignation:
- Work he took between his resignation and imprisonment, as a consultant (and possibly an unregistered lobbyist), would clearly have been illegal if the state's revolving-door law explicitly included the governor as it does other state employees. On August 29, 2005, Rowland's attorney Bartley Halloran reported that Chief State's Attorney Christopher Morano will seek a state arrest warrant against Rowland. [link] The prosecutor's request was subsequently denied.
- Three non-profit organizations closely associated with large contributors to his campaigns for public office are also mentioned by investigators:
- * Michael Bolton Charities Inc., formerly called the Michael Bolton Foundation and established by his contributor, the musician Michael Bolton
- * National Science Center Foundation, a Georgia-based vendor to the state and one of the controversial consulting clients
- * The Executive Residence Conservancy, Inc., which paid for expenses of the governor's mansion during Rowland's residence there
- head of United Technologies when (before Rowland was congressman or governor) it employed him as a consultant,
- a large contributor to Rowland's election campaigns,
- the conservancy's largest contributor and
- head of National Science Center Foundation, when it employed Rowland as a consultant between his resignation and conviction.
References
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