Finally. Of course he could have saved the taxpayers money by doing this earlier. Those subpoenas must have been pretty scary.
Sen. Louis C. DeLuca announced his resignation shortly after 1 p.m. today, ending a 17-year career in the Senate and a five-month controversy over his dealings with James Galante, a trash hauler accused of having ties to organized crime.
DeLuca struggled to remain composed as he read aloud a two-page statement. His wife, Alice, stood by his side, her right hand on his left shoulder.
“For now, I must do what is right for my family, my district and my state. I will retire from the state Senate and resign my office, effective Nov. 30, 2007,” he said. Then he thanked his supporters and added, “I love you, and farewell.”
DeLuca took no questions. Within 10 minutes, he had left the Capitol with his wife, children and two grandchildren.
A grim-faced DeLuca paid a courtesy call on Gov. M. Jodi Rell this morning, a prelude to an announcement he will resign, rather than submit to an extended legislative inquiry into his dealings with Galante.
He and his wife were ushered inside to meet with Rell and emerged about 15 minutes later. Waiting outside the office were DeLuca’s children, plus two political supporters, Republican State Chairman Chris Healy and Rep. Sean Williams, R-Watertown.
The Senate had been set today to grant the Bipartisan Committee of Review subpoena power to force DeLuca to turn over copies of FBI recordings of DeLuca’s conversations with an undercover agent posing as an associate of Galante. DeLuca acknowledged recently that he has copies of the tapes, but has refused to release them.
source: Courant, Sen. DeLuca Resigns, By MARK PAZNIOKAS, November 13, 2007
