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A6 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 21 august 2019

Lawmakers are told port authority lacked accounting records

By SUSAN HAIGH Lamont’s administration,
Associated Press including Department of
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Economic and Commu-
Connecticut lawmakers nity Development Deputy
were told Tuesday that the Commissioner David Kooris,
Connecticut Port Author- who Lamont has appoint-
ity, which has come under ed to temporarily oversee
scrutiny for paying a for- the authority. Kooris said
mer board chairwoman’s he is working to review the
daughter $3,000 for office “authority’s finances with a
art, operated for a period fine-toothed comb” and is
of time without account- bringing in an external au-
ing records detailing bank ditor for another review.
transactions or formal writ- Kooris tried to assure law-
ten policies addressing per- makers that he has deter-
sonnel practices to the use mined port authority staff
of surplus funds. members attempted to
John Rasimas, deputy pursue “best practices”
state auditor, outlined for from other quasi-public
members of the General agencies, but those rec-
Assembly’s Transportation ommendations were not
Committee a recent audit followed through by the
for fiscal years 2016 and authority’s top leadership.
2017 that showed the qua- But Republican legislators
si-public agency did not In this April 22, 2011 file photo, men fish from a pier in the Port of New Haven, Conn., as cargo expressed disappointment
maintain the “basic ele- vessels are docked at rear. that several previous port
ments” of internal account- Associated Press authority officials didn’t
ing procedures. its records matched the 2016, charged with mar- nizations created to take attend Tuesday’s forum,
“We found that the Con- amounts shown on the au- keting and making invest- on public missions. They’re including former board
necticut Port Authority did thority’s bank statements. ments in the state’s three considered more nimble chairwoman and Old Lyme
not maintain accounting A second audit is currently deep water ports and small than a traditional state First Selectman Bonnie Re-
records detailing the trans- underway. harbors to maximize their agency. emsnyder, suggesting they
actions and balances of its Lawmakers held a daylong full potential. It’s one of Most recently, the port au- be subpoenaed to testify.
bank accounts during that hearing on the finances more than a dozen quasi- thority has played a key “It is essential for govern-
audit period,” he said, add- and management prac- public agencies, which role in Connecticut’s push ment transparency that
ing how the authority could tices at the port authority, are state-chartered but to develop an offshore they attend and be able
not show auditors that which began operating in privately managed orga- wind industry. The authority to answer questions from
and the new private op- the committee, otherwise
erator of the state pier in this hearing will be unpro-
New London recently part- ductive,” the committee’s
nered with Bay State Wind two GOP leaders wrote in
to redevelop the pier into a letter to the Democratic
a state-of-the-art facility chairmen. Sen. Carlo Le-
that can accommodate one, D-Stamford, the com-
offshore wind components. mittee’s co-chairman,
Besides the auditors, law- said lawmakers are wait-
makers Tuesday heard ing to see if those officials
from representatives of ultimately submit written
Democratic Gov. Ned statements.q

2 drug companies settle with

counties in opioid-crisis suit

By JULIE CARR SMYTH and $10 million to settle their
GEOFF MULVIHILL suits, which are still sched-
Associated Press uled to go to trial against
Two pharmaceutical com- other drugmakers and dis-
panies have reached tributors Oct. 21.
settlements totaling $15 As part of the deal, Endo
million to avoid being de- also agreed to supply $1
fendants in the first federal million worth of blood pres-
trial on the drug industry’s sure medicines it produces
accountability for a nation- for the counties.
wide opioid crisis. The counties will determine
Dublin, Ireland-based how the settlement is di-
Endo Pharmaceuticals an- vided.
nounced Tuesday that it And Allergan, also based in
has agreed to pay the Ohio Dublin, has agreed to pay
counties of Cuyahoga and $5 million to settle claims
Summit, home to Cleve- related to its branded
land and Akron, a total of opioid.q