Jepsen Blows Whistle on Blumenthal

The Blumenthal Reign of Terror is over. The age of Jepsen and sober enlightenment has begun.

Once can only imagine what the mood was like when one of Richard Blumenthal's hapless aids had to tell him that his successor, Attorney General George Jepsen, had dropped, dismissed and otherwise drop-kicked 513 "active" whistle blower complaints that were still gathering mold on Elm Street.


Jepsen decided the time was right to clean out the file cabinet of all non-essential briefs, accusations and clap trap. Overall, the former Democrat State Party Chairman, acted in the least political fashion, waiving off 83 percent of the active files that were opened by the Junior U.S. Senator.


Blumenthal told Steve Singer of the Associated Press that he made of practice of keeping a case open because important information could be developed later. Some of these complaints, most of which come from recalcitrant state employees trying to stab a fellow employee in the back, have been open for years. People who are often accused are given a letter indicating that they are being investigated. Blumenthal was legend for never closing any file, leaving the accused wondering if there would ever be a fair adjudication.  One wonders where Blumenthal missed that Constitutional law class about speedy trials.


But Blumenthal was never about justice over proper investigations. His career as Attorney General was a two-act Torquemada managed play. First, respond to a planted question from the media about his concern over some miscarriage of public policy or unfair business practice and then, in Act Two, announce an investigation was being launched with all the resources needed to pursue justice.

On occasion, his office would quietly announce a conclusion or settlement. But the ratio between accusations and results were highly tilted to the person yelling fire in the move theater. And if there as any risk of losing a case or taking on a well-connected entity (Countrywide comes to mind), Blumenthal would be unavailable for comment.


Probably Blumenthal biggest failure was the investigation of Lisa Moody, former Chief of Staff to Gov. M. Jodi Rell over the practice of handing out political fundraising cards during state hours. Blumenthal spent a year looking into it. Scores of lower paid employees had to hire lawyers to go through the paces. In the end, Blumenthal did nothing. Moody laughed all the way to the pension board.


Jepsen has had little use for this kind of activity and give him credit for doing something long overdue. The fact that he talked to the Associated Press was a major "bite me" to his former colleague. It was Jepsen, after all, who replaced Blumenthal in the state House and State Senate. It seems this act of succession is another thing, indeed.


"I like to see all sides of an issue before I jump in," Jepsen told AP. "My background academically, professionally and politically is nonconfrontational. We do plenty of litigation here but I generally view litigation ought to be as a last resort."


Jepsen has even retired the press conference area once used on a daily basis by Blumenthal who is finding his ability to hog the airwaves a little bit more challengeing with 99 Senators with more senority.


Who says you can't be promoted to obscurity?