Journal Inquirer

Journal Inquirer Did Rell receive undisclosed campaign boost? Probes launched into budget focus group

By Keith M. Phaneuf October 12, 2009 Journal Inquirer HARTFORD — As investigations began Friday into whether state funds were misused to provide political research for Gov. M. Jodi Rell, new questions arose as to whether the governor’s campaign received valuable free consulting services from the director of this publiclyfunded project. And if the State Elections Enforcement Commission ultimately determines the governor’s exploratory committee did receive in-kind aid worth more than $375, it could block her ability to receive public campaign funding — should she seek to run again next year. Rell, a Republican who is not expected to announce until after next month’s municipal elections whether she will seek re-election in 2010, said Friday her exploratory committee would ask elections officials to review with the committee’s communications with University of Connecticut professor and public opinion expert Kenneth Dautrich. The controversy stems in part from the governor’s decision to approve a $223,000 contract with UConn to retain Dautrich in 2008 to conduct a detailed review of commissioners and other top agency heads in 2008 to find ways to make state operations leaner and more cost efficient.

But about $2,000 of those funds reportedly covered the cost of focus group research into public opinion on budget-related issues. A panel of nine residents was asked their opinions not only about how the state budget crisis should be resolved in terms of spending cuts and tax hikes, but also how they would rate the leadership abilities of Rell and of the state legislature. The focus group report to Rell also included participants’ comments about the leadership potential of Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. A popular Democrat from Greenwich, Blumenthal was viewed by many as a strong, potential gubernatorial candidate until he announced in February that he would seek re-election as attorney general. Leaders of the Democrat-controlled legislature attacked the focus group effort Thursday, arguing that voters’ perception of potential gubernatorial challengers to Rell aren’t necessary to help the governor prepare a budget proposal. But new questions arose Friday, not about focus group research funded with state dollars, but with an actual poll commissioned by the governor’s exploratory committee this past spring. The committee hired Braun Research of Princeton, N.J. to conduct a poll at a cost of $6,000 — a bargain price compared with similar polls.

For example, Rell’s 2006 re-election campaign paid $29,000 to Public Opinion Strategies of Alexandria, Va., to conduct one poll in August of that year. Rell’s opponent in that contest, New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, spent $32,000 and $26,000 to commission polls in March and July of 2006, respectively, from Peter D. Hart Research Associates of Washington, D.C. And a review of seven polls commissioned in 2008 by the state Senate Democratic Caucus — each surveying only a multi-town Senate district rather than the entire state — disclosed costs ranging from $12,000 to $16,500. So how was the Rell committee able to obtain a price of $6,000? Polling fees typically cover three expenses: preparing the questions; contacting the respondents and compiling the results; and providing professional analysis of those results. Many times, pollsters hired to conduct a survey will subcontract with another firm to perform the actual telephone work and statistical compilation, providing the question preparation and concluding analysis themselves. A review of the Braun Research Web site shows it specializes in survey interviewing, but does not highlight the drafting poll questions or providing political analysis. “We can

provide accurate sampling to assure you of productive dialing for your study,” the site reads. A review of e-mails between Dautrich and Rell’s chief of staff, M. Lisa Moody, first disclosed earlier this week by The Day of New London, showed Dautrich repeatedly provided advice on the survey results compiled by Braun Research. Dautrich told the Journal Inquirer on Friday that this advice was neither unusual, nor related to the focus group research. “I was careful to distinguish any kind of advice I was giving relevant to the UConn project for the state from any kind of volunteer advice” given regarding the committee poll. Dautrich, who led UConn’s Center for Survey Research and Analysis from 1997 through 2004, is touted by the university as a public opinion expert and routinely made available to the media and others to speak on survey research issues. “I talk to lots of people about polls all the time,” he said. E-mail records showed Dautrich has submitted a series of potential poll questions regarding not only state finances but also the popularity of Rell and other top state officials to Moody in June 2008 — 11 months before the committee ordered the Braun Research poll. Dautrich said these were suggested to help with the budget research project, but Moody responded by e-mail that it couldn’t be backed with state funds. The polling idea was dropped from the budget research project, and a focus group component was put in its place. The committee treasurer, Thomas J. Filomeno, could not be reached Friday to respond to inquires about who prepared the questions asked in

the Braun Research poll. Dautrich added he has legal advice that holds the analysis he provided regarding the committee poll does not represent the type of free service contributions that normally must be disclosed by a political committee. Rell said Friday she does not believe Dautrich’s involvement would constitute as an in-kind contribution under Connecticut’s campaign finance laws, but said she would ask her committee treasurer to ask the state’s Elections Enforcement Commission. “If there is any fine, we will pay that fine,” Rell said. But if Rell plans to run in 2010, and hopes to qualify for public funding again as she did in 2006, there could be bigger problem than failing to report an in-kind contribution. Gubernatorial candidates can receive up to $1.25 million in public funds to wage a primary, and another $3 million for the general election, provided they meet an array of requirements. This includes limits on how much private funding they accept beforehand, even while running exploratory rather than candidate committees. And the limit on contributions from any individual is $375. If Dautrich’s political advice is ruled an in-kind contribution, its monetary value could far exceed that limit. Rell defended her hiring of Dautrich for the budget research project, saying Friday that she is proud of the work. “I believe the state more than got its money’s worth,” the governor said, adding it helped to find millions of dollars in savings, offering ideas such as reducing the state’s fleet of vehicles.

“I did not request a focus group, but, you know, they did it,” she said. “I think it was worthwhile.” Rell, who referred to the strong criticism from Democrats about the project as “politics at its worst,” said she welcomed the investigations. The State Auditors of Public Accounts, Kevin P. Johnston and Robert G. Jaekle, began their own probe Friday in cooperation with Blumenthal. The auditors’ and attorney general’s offices both have confirmed receiving state employee complaints regarding the Dautrich project filed under the “whistleblower” statute. “Obviously we were going to review this” in response to the whistleblower complaints, Johnston said Friday, adding that a cooperative effort could expedite matters. “I think we felt the best way for us to go about this is to work jointly.” “We are making every effort to expedite it because there are important public interests involved,” Blumenthal said. “We received a number of whistleblower complaints concerning these issues of state tax dollars use or misuse.” Also Friday, UConn spokesman Michael Kirk announced the university’s office of audit, compliance and ethics “is examining the research associated with this project to determine if it may have violated any aspect UConn’s code of ethics.” That code bars employees from engaging in political activity while on state time, or while using state materials or equipment. This story includes Associated Press reporting.