In yet another example of the Democratic Party’s cozy insider politics, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont is facing outrage after it was revealed that he approved a staggering \$440,000 taxpayer-funded salary for a longtime “good friend” — even after the man was accused of blowing tens of thousands of public dollars on luxury dining and travel.
The friend in question, Terrence Cheng, served as chancellor of Connecticut State Colleges & Universities and was later forced to step down after allegations surfaced that he spent roughly \$27,000 in taxpayer money on “lavish meals,” alcohol, and other high-end perks. Despite the scandal, Lamont not only defended Cheng but had previously greenlit a lucrative one-year extension for him — all on the public dime.
State Sen. Stephen Harding (R-CT) didn’t mince words when calling out the governor’s actions. “When you get a one-year extension on your position after using \$27,000 of taxpayer money on lavish meals and travel and everything else, I would argue that any logical person will look at that and say that person should no longer have a job on the taxpayer’s dime,” Harding said in a blistering statement.
Harding blasted the backroom nature of the deal, accusing the governor of quietly locking in Cheng’s massive pay package. “In the dark of night, once again, we’ve extended a position and now given that person a \$440,000-a-year salary,” he said. “I don’t think any logical person would look at that and say that’s acceptable.”
The Republican senator made it clear this wasn’t an isolated incident, pointing to a pattern of questionable spending and political favoritism under Lamont’s watch. “Time and time again, there have been backroom, shady deals, well-paid individuals getting padded,” Harding said. “And frankly, when is someone going to get fired? At what point is someone going to get fired?”
Harding stressed that Lamont’s defense of Cheng shows a fundamental lack of accountability. “It’s nice to be a nice guy, but at some point you have to make the hard decision for the people of this state,” Harding declared. “When people are wasting the taxpayers’ hard-earned money, there have to be consequences. And it doesn’t seem like there’s any willingness, at least from the governor, to do anything about these problems.”
When pressed about the scandal, Lamont seemed more interested in defending his friend than addressing taxpayers’ concerns. “Look, he’s been a good friend, he’s accomplished a lot there at Connecticut State,” Lamont said, before attempting to pivot to positives like increased applications and graduations. Even while acknowledging that “some of the spending was an issue,” the governor brushed past the misuse of funds to talk about his vision for the system over the next decade.
This episode is a case study in the dangers of one-party rule. In a deep-blue state like Connecticut, Democrats can hand out massive salaries and turn a blind eye to waste without fear of real consequences — because political allies will cover for each other. While ordinary families are tightening their belts to make ends meet, Gov. Lamont’s friends seem to have no problem dining on the taxpayers’ tab.
