Chris Cooper, director of communications for the Greenberg campaign, confirmed in an email that Rowland and Greenberg discussed the possibility in the candidate’s 2010 campaign “prior to Mark deciding to run for any office.” [...] “The initial contact came when Mark first expressed interest in politics — months before he decided to run for any office,” Cooper wrote on behalf of the campaign, responding to an emailed inquiry. “Never having been involved in politics before — a mutual friend put Mark and John together for Mark to get a better understanding of what running for public office was all about.” According to Cooper’s response in the email, Rowland proposed being paid through the Simon Foundation, the nonprofit animal shelter Greenberg operates with his wife, Linda. Greenberg “turned down the proposal,” Cooper said in the email. Rowland did not return messages left seeking comment.

When asked if that business relationship, during which Rowland worked with Apple Rehab in “consulting capacity,” ended prior to the start of Wilson-Foley’s congressional campaign, Healy replied “I cannot say that for certainty. I don’t know what the timeline was,” though he did say the relationship is not currently active.

“During my 22 years as an FBI Special Agent, I investigated and fought corruption in municipal and state government. With a team of agents and prosecutors, I worked to put politicians behind bars who used taxpayer dollars for personal interest, including former Governor John Rowland. I am dismayed that Lisa Wilson-Foley appears to have turned towards the very corruption I fought by welcoming assistance from the formerly-jailed ex-Governor. An alliance between a Congressional candidate and a convicted felon who was found to have deceived the residents of Connecticut from the state’s highest office is mind-boggling. This does more than raise eyebrows – it calls into question the very integrity of Wilson-Foley’s campaign, particularly as evidence continues to surface regarding Rowland’s past attempts to receive campaign money from other candidates through illicit means. My investigations ensured that Connecticut citizens have increased transparency and accountability from their elected officials. I call on Lisa Wilson-Foley personally to immediately provide the transparency required of a public servant. Lisa Wilson-Foley must publicly disclose any and all agreements between Brian Foley, his associated businesses, and John Rowland. She must disclose all agreements between herself, her campaign, Apple Rehab and any member of the Rowland family. These disclosures must include all dates and amounts of payments, as well as full explanations for any non-disclosure to this point. Further, I have instructed my staff to file a formal complaint with the Federal Election Commission, seeking its investigation regarding this alleged activity. Credibility and character cannot be overlooked in this race. In light of these questionable circumstances, condoning Wilson-Foley’s candidacy will only serve to hand the Fifth District seat to the Democrats.”

Republican congressional candidate Andrew Roraback said he is sending a letter to his opponent, Lisa Wilson-Foley, asking that she release all information regarding the relationship between her campaign, the physical rehabilitation business owned by her husband, and former Gov. John Rowland. [...] “What we are asking her to do is to make herself available to the press and interested citizens to fully disclose all the details of the relationship that she and her husband have and have had with former Gov. Rowland,” Roraback said. “We’re asking her to do that because this campaign needs to be about the incredibly difficult and challenging issues facing our nation, and what we as candidates are offering as solutions.”

Meanwhile state Republican party Chairman Jerry Labriola said he wants to meet with the Wilson-Foley campaign soon to discuss the matter. ” I intend to have a discussion with Lisa’s campaign in the next day or two to get a fuller understanding of the matter,” he said this afternoon. [...] Another Republican in the race, Afghanistan war veteran Justin Bernier, also raised issues about former governor’s role. “Republicans must be the party of truth and transparency — not the party of payoffs,” he said in an email. “Every campaign has a moral and legal responsibility to report who is being paid on their campaign.”

Less than a day after the Connecticut Film Festival called this year's event a wrap, the event's founder said he's talking with other places about serving as host city for the main program. "We can't produce the main event in Danbury if the city isn't supporting it," film festival Executive Director Tom Carruthers said Monday. "At the end of the day, I think the city is missing an opportunity to leverage what we've put together."

Mayor Mark Boughton said if Carruthers wants to move the main event that's his choice, but the city can no longer provide financial backing. "The fact is the city put $180,000 into the festival in the past three years and we saw a diminished attendance," Boughton said. "If someone else wants to put up the same resources, God bless them.

• During your budget presentation last year, you promised not to give pay raises to non-union employees YET in you failed to announce in your budget proposal this year (a proposal that includes large property tax increases as well as increases to water and sewer rates) you plan to give an estimated 100,000 dollars in huge pay raises to non-union employees that are retroactive to January of this year. How can you justify this pay increase that directly contradicts something you said you would not do?
• It's very apparent that your policy of no new night clubs on Ives Street has had a drastic negative impact on that section of downtown with several business being forced to close it's doors on Ives Street in the last year alone. Given that in at least the last two years business owners and the public have demanded that the city lift the restrictions on Ives Street, your policy is still in place. Why won't you lift the restriction that could be done today?
• Why do you keep misleading the public regarding Danbury bond rating?
• Why did you dissolve the ad-hoc committee that was set up to fixed the numerous problems with the parade ordinance although you promised members of the council that you would allow an ad-hoc committee look into the problem with the ordinance only to dissolve the committee before they had a chance to meet?
• Given your comments UNDER OATH in your Danbury 11 deposition, will you finally admit that you LIED regarding the city's role in the raid at Kennedy park back in 2006?
• What was your real role in the firefighter's lawsuit?
• Do you plan to dip into the fund balance for the third year in a row to balance the budget because of your failed attempt to sell city owned land
Make sure to call into the Marty Heiser show TONIGHT at 9PM. Phone number 438.2003 OR 792.4101.

Today, former State Representative Jason Bartlett launched his website Bartlett2012.com and announced that he has created an exploratory committee to run for the State Senate in the 24th District. In personalized letters to the four town committees of Danbury, Bethel, New Fairfield and Sherman, Bartlett asked for their support and cited his legislative record of accomplishment on issues such as education, healthcare and growing jobs for greater Danbury. Rep. Bartlett stated that he looked forward to sharing his vision for the future and contrasting his priorities with those of the extremist incumbent. “I think the people of Danbury, Bethel, New Fairfield and Sherman deserve to have a Senator who will advocate for what’s right for our children, our community and our taxpayers to make a difference in the lives of working class people across the State of Connecticut." A Danbury resident and former Bethel businessman, Bartlett looks forward to meeting voters outside of his former district and reintroduce himself to those he had the opportunity to represent. "I will use this exploratory period to reacquaint myself with the issues and meet the residents of New Fairfield and Sherman before making a final decision on whether to run,” Bartlett said. “But, it is clear so far from talking to people throughout the district that they feel the current incumbent is an radical who has used his time in office to advocate for issues outside the mainstream of the 24th State Senate District, especially in the State’s greatest time of need.”

[City] Council members stressed that while they were happy to see so many residents come to the meeting on Monday, they have little control over how the education board spends its money.

Council minority leader Tom Saadi noted after the meeting that as recently as eight years ago, the council provided the school system with an additional $500,000 after school advocates voiced concerns that they couldn't buy new textbooks. The money, Saadi said, was never actually used for textbooks and funded other programs. "Even if we decided to give the Board of Education another $195,000 there is no guarantee they will use it for Head Start," Saadi said.

The Danbury City Council agreed to give a $57,000 sum left over from the Danbury Board of Education's budget from 2010-2011, to a parent's group to make sure the high school would have freshmen sports. [...] When Danbury Mayor asked school administrators to consider using that surplus to pay for freshmen sports, the Board of Education divided on the issue. Roughly half supporting freshmen sports, and the rest suggesting numerous other uses for the money. To avoid the education board entirely, Boughton said he could give the money to Save Our Sports, which can only raise money for one purpose, to pay for freshmen sports.

Some board members have proposed cutting back the funding during the next three years to fully phase out the school system's support for the program.