Westport’s race for 1st selectman has taken an unexpected turn.
A lawsuit filed in Bridgeport Superior Court charges State Representative Jonathan Steinberg and his campaign chair Lisa Newman with defamation. Steinberg seeks the Democratic nomination for 1st selectman. The DTC will endorse a candidate later this month.
Kristan Hamlin — a member of the Democratic Town Committee — claims, among other things, that:
- Steinberg falsely represented his marketing background to her, voters and others
- His workplace conduct rendered him unemployable
- He worked in a “low-paying” government position (state representative), sought the more remunerative 1st selectman’s post in 2013, was not nominated and now has entered into a “quid pro quo” agreement with that nominee (current 3rd Selectman Melissa Kane) in which Steinberg will run for 1st selectman, while she seeks his state representative post.
Hamlin also charges that Newman and DTC chair Ellen Lautenberg worked together to manipulate elections to the DTC executive committee, and the makeup of the Nominations Committee, to ensure Steinberg’s nomination.
Hamlin asks for compensatory and punitive damages against Steinberg and Newman, for pain, suffering, emotional distress, humiliation and more.
Newman’s attorney, Josh Koskoff, says:
In May, after a lengthy discussion, and on the heels of multiple complaints regarding her conduct, some of which date back years, the plaintiff was removed from all Westport DTC subcommittees unanimously by the 14-member executive committee.
The plaintiff then filed a complaint with the State Democratic Party, making numerous allegations against the Westport DTC for allegedly violating multiple rules. The State Party panel hearing the plaintiff’s allegations unanimously ruled against the plaintiff and summarily dismissed the complaint.
In 25 years of practicing law I have never filed an appearance on behalf of a defendant. The fact that I am doing so now should speak for itself. This appears to be a vindictive suit motivated by self -interest. We are confident the case will be dismissed by the Court in short order for its lack of merit.
Click here for the entire case. Click here for the most recent and relevant portion: the Amended Case.
Grab the popcorn! Talk about sour grapes. This seems less about procedure and more about personal animus.
(Full disclosure – I served on RTM with Jon and I have been happy to vote for him in his successful runs for State Rep. While I was a lifelong Republican, I switched to unaffiliated in 2006 and have only in the last month switched my party affiliation to Democrat.)
Does this person have no idea how political horsetrading has worked from time immemorial?
If someone wants to throw their hat in the ring at the DTC meeting, they can. Isn’t there an option to primary, with enough support, too? But it seems foolish to have party infighting when the GOP is already focused on November. (As I’ve said to many, if you want a party without the disproportional influence of party stakeholders who have held office, raised money, and supported the work of the party, etc., I’ll give you a party that nominated a reality television star for the highest office in the land.)
Anyone who thinks that a person who has easily won State Rep races can’t win a First Selectman race is wrong – given the substantial overlap in the voter base, Jon has already won these races. Though the point about the strength of women candidates in general is a reasonable one. But wouldn’t that same point apply with a candidacy of Melissa Kane for State Rep?
Don O’Day supported Jim Marpe in a general election… so he supported the other party’s candidate but now wants the nomination? That’s rich. Maybe he should run as a Republican?
If the plaintiff doesn’t think that every Democrat running for every office should not be branding their Republican opponents as supporters of the Party of Trump, the party that won’t investigate a seditious attack on the Capitol Building, the party that would perpetuate the Big Lie for political gain, and the party that has adopted voter suppression as a strategy, she is Example 1 of why Democrats lose races.
If Jen Tooker fails to speak out against these things, shame on her… and shame on other Republicans who have goose-stepped behind Trump rather than showing an iota of moral courage. One wonders how Marpe and Tooker explain their support of the Party of Trump to their children and grandchildren. “We had a chance to do the right thing but knew that political expediency was good for us?”
(EVERY Democratic campaign rally between now and at least 2022 should end with a call and response about Republicans, “they don’t care.” Attack on the Capitol? They don’t care. 600,000 dead from COVID? They don’t care. Attacks on the Democracy? They don’t care.) The GOP is about power above all. Anyone who doesn’t get that probably should get out of the way.
Interesting take. The obviously one-sided complaint filed by Kristan is interesting as well, and sort of describes at a local level what the Democratic Party did to Bernie Sanders at the national level in 2016. Seems like the GOP is not the only political party that “..is about power above all”, in particular, personal power. Probably should flush them all out.
This reply is almost as silly as the lawsuit.
What the Democrats did in 2016 was have a party establishment that supported the candidate who had supported the Party and it’s candidates for many, many years.
With Bernie, they had a challenger (whose progressive politics I admire) who wouldn’t even call himself a Democrat and who didn’t have the years of history supporting the party.
Ultimately, Bernie didn’t carry the popular vote in the primaries any more than he got the support of the super-delegates. Nearly 17 million primary voters cast their votes for HRC while Bernie only took 13.2 million.
The unfortunate narrative (that Trump borrowed) that HRC somehow “stole” the nomination due to an “unfair” process arguably helped aid Trump’s win in the general election.
(Don’t get me wrong – I have serious concerns about the primary process at all levels, but political parties are private organizations and can, to a great degree, operate by their own rules. And I do think at the national level (via Trump), the watering down of the influence of the party establishment has had disastrous results. Especially because primaries have low turnout, a so-called democratization of the (current) primary process helps outliers and populists with specific agendas that may not match the party traditions.)
Mr. Grimm,
First, thank you for your service to the community, both past and present.
Second, while I can understand your frustration with the state of the national GOP, and can easily understand why you have switched parties, one of the reasons I somehow remain a registered Republican is because I have found other Republicans in our community to be thoughtful, reasonable people. I like to hope that some future GOP can still be salvaged with like-minded individuals who haven’t been brainwashed. In the 2016 GOP primary Westport was one of five CT cities where Kasich won the plurality of the vote. (others include Darien, New Canaan, West Hartford, and Salisbury)
You are entitled to try to brand members of your community as perpetuating “the big lie” (Biden carried 74.5% of the Westport vote in 2020, including several Republicans) or as insurrectionists, but how many Westporters were involved in the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol? I’ve seen an article that states two people from Groton were involved, but I think any effort to brand Westport Republicans as traitors without justification may backfire. I’m not sure to what extent the Westport Net Zero by 2050 was led by Marpe or members of the RTM, but Marpe certainly appeared to support it. Likewise when the pandemic began Marpe also seemed to take an approach advocating thoughtful precautions, inc
And while I may know Jen Tooker, I think it highly inappropriate for you or I to speak on her behalf. That being said, I would think it equally unfair for you to claim Trump speaks for Tooker as it would be for some Tucker Carlson junkie to claim AOC or some other member of “the squad” speaks for Steinberg or whoever the Democratic selectperson candidates happen to be. So as far as I’m concerned, I think Jen Tooker’s children and grandchildren can be proud of her service to the community. She has proudly served the entire town of Westport, not just Westport Republicans.
“I somehow remain a registered Republican is because I have found other Republicans in our community to be thoughtful, reasonable people…. In the 2016 GOP primary Westport was one of five CT cities where Kasich won the plurality of the vote. (others include Darien, New Canaan, West Hartford, and Salisbury)”
Not sure why you mentioned Kasich in connection with Westport. Perhaps you intended to show that Kasich was the 2016 candidate of “thoughtful and reasonable” Republicans – and had not been aware that Governor Kasich took $2Billion out of the Ohio education budget and called it a surplus.
Perhaps you mentioned Kasich as the 2016 candidate of “‘thoughtful and reasonable” Republicans to support your decision to “somehow remain a registered Republican’ – and are not aware that in 2016, 4169 Westporters voted for Trump, while in 2020, 4222 Westporters voted for Trump.
I , too, hope for “like-minded individuals who haven’t been brainwashed”.
Because Biden’s margin of victory in ‘reliably blue-state’ Connecticut was 20%.
Mr. Krasne:
I appreciate your comment.
Unless Republican elected officials call out insurrectionists, these kind of words are empty. Unless they call out Trump, these words are empty. Unless they call out the Big Lie, these words are empty.
I needn’t tell you the result of the House vote on to whether to even have a bi-partisan investigation of the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Those weren’t just a few rogue crazies – that was the party establishment.
State officials and local officials are simply foot-soldiers in a political party, filling a pipeline of support for the national agenda. Those foot-soldiers can’t legitimately claim that they aren’t supporting that which their participation enables.
To claim that one knows reasonable local Republicans while we all see what is being done at the national level of the GOP is to suggest that the outliers have some consequence in the Party. I left the Party when it stopped being the Party of Peace and Prosperity – and I had accepted a lot of troubling policy changes in the party over the decades. I’m kind of dumbfounded, at this point, as to all those who haven’t left, unless they are true believers of the evangelical-conservative agenda.
The GOP has really had little or no policy agenda since Barack Obama was elected President. The agenda was obstruction. (Which is also part of the reason Trump got the nomination – the other candidates didn’t even try to articulate policy agendas in the years leading into the election.)
It is one thing to point out nonsensical claims of fake media about policy stances, but you are defending people who stood quietly when the leader of your political party inspired a mob to storm the Capitol. The silence of those elected Republicans is deafening. I genuinely have no reason to believe that those same elected Republicans wouldn’t have supported an overturning of the election results if they somehow could have gotten away with it. What evidence is there otherwise?
cg
Chris, Here’s some “evidence otherwise.” Jim Marpe actually issued the below statement, which Dan published here, re: Jan 6th. It may not be strong enough for your liking, but our elected Republicans were not silent.
“As the chief elected officer of Westport, to watch the behavior and the blatant abrogation of responsibility by the Chief Elected Officer of the United States was discouraging and disgusting.
I am embarrassed for our country. Thankfully, as a community, our local elected officials regularly participate in a civil and respectful process that gives me hope and confidence that our democracy can and will survive.”
To the extent the Republican party isn’t going away, our only hope for change is from within. Frankly, I would love to see these particular Republicans – Jim, Jen, and Andrea – or others like them, be elevated to the national stage so we Democrats could once again have intelligent negotiating partners. I have seen no evidence that these particular individuals — who have proven track records of public service, who have put in place policies that show that they care about the environment, education, and public health, who have worked to create an environment where businesses can sprout and prosper, who are demonstrably supportive of human rights, and who are humble to a fault — are “foot soldiers” supporting any national agenda.
A “low paying” government position? It’s called public service.
I am deeply embarrassed just reading about this lawsuit.
Someone correct me, but the claim JPS is a “false” company because it isn’t registered with the state seems incorrect. While corporations and LLCs are registered with the state, I believe sole proprietorships need only register for a DBA with the town.
If true, the entire premise of the first part of the complaint is specious, and damaging to Jonathan without cause.
It is obvious that Kristan Hamlin, though she calls herself a Democrat, is a true Trumpite using scurrilous accusations to destroy the Democratic Party at any level. Just check her motives.
You liberal westporters never cease to amaze me. She’s a full blooded democrat so stop blaming republicans. I am not surprised by her lawsuit because she threatened a lawsuit against me for factual public information. Let’s hope that Westport once again votes Republican for first selectman. Democrats have bankrupt the once beautiful state of Connecticut. Surprised the democrats haven’t taken down the minuteman statue because it hurt someone’s feelings. Also the best you could do is Jonathan Steinburg. Seriously. It’s ok snowflakes Joey and Kamala will help your party through this tough time. Last I heard Joe Biden didn’t know he was president. They had to write it down on a pad.
Who wants to tear down the Minuteman?
Where did you hear that Biden doesn’t know he’s President?
Do you believe the Big Lie, too?
I hope the folks who defend Westport Republican office holders read your moronic comment and try to explain that away.
To quote Joseph Welch who said to Senator Joseph McCarthy, “At long last, have you left no sense of decency?” I ask Ms. Hamlin, “At long last, have you left no sense of decency?” Your motives, Ms. Hamlin, are questionable at best and quite frankly, you should be brought up on charges of wasting judicial time and taxpayer dollars. Jonathan Steinberg has served our community for many years with decency, integrity, thoughtfulness, compassion, and intelligence. Westporters are so very lucky to have such a man in their corner. This ridiculous “lawsuit” is not only without merit but is a reflection on your bad judgement and selfishness as opposed to anything related to Representative Steinberg. You are going to find absolutely no one in your corner and almost everyone in Jonathan’s. I look forward to being able to address Jonathan as First Selectman Jonathan Steinberg.
First, hello Ted Diamond, a great Westporter, even older than I.
As to the Hamlin lawsuit, it is rather unique in that it seeks to use the Courts to promote various thoughts, allegations and alleged facts. Kristan has long been outspoken, sometimes I agree with her, other times not. This recent effort seems bizarre.
I hope that the race for our next First Selectperson focuses upon issues and specifics. I have conveyed to Jonathan, Jen and other once potential candidates some of my thoughts. Here is my most recent list: (1) Parker Harding Riverfront changes, (2) the dredging of the Saugatuck River, (3) the preservation of the key elements of the Cribari Bridge, (4) maintaining or increasing open space as much as possible, (5) keeping Baron’s South pristine “open space”, (6) Town Departments taking the lead on School maintenance, (7) addressing in some way “Golden Shadows”, (8) convincing the ZBA to be less generous with variances, ((9) convincing the P&Z to be more cautious in addressing development, (10) assuring that our 8-30g Moratorium continues for ten years, (11) stopping a new cell tower at 92 Hillspoint Rd. (12) supporting our fine Town employees, especially those who are in engaged in Conservation and environmental preservation, (13) supporting a ban in the warm weather on two cycle gas powered leaf blowers, (14) precluding new or expanded business structures if any traffic increases result, (15) promote Westport’s artists community, (16) address mass transit needs and visions, (16) protect and enhance the Saugatuck Business center, (17) reasonable taxes and (17) civility and integrity.
Don Bergmann
Oh the hypocrisy. The same party who points the finger at the other side should really be pointing at themselves.
Stop bringing national politics into local town politics. This is not the White House or congress. You can support whomever you want. Free country people! Did we forget?
Who the hell cares who Don O’Day supported? People have their reasons for whatever, he’s still a great man at the end of the day.
Just because you’re a Republican, does not mean you supported trump. Enough with that divisive blanketed low blow weak argument. To call people names because they identify as blue or red, and all you see is color, is disgraceful.
Ms. Hamlin has every right to plead her argument. Theres physical evidence. What I am not happy to see, or even surprise to see, is the amount of disloyalty within the party, and even campaign managers with no faith in their own candidates! How disgusting!
For a small town, there’s a lot of unhappy and ugliness behind the whole “working together,” song and dance. This is too controversial now. A stain on the party that all about inclusiveness. But the minute you tell them you have a different opinion, it’s a few within the party who will attack. Kristan is not like that.
Teach our kids to not bully but look what you’re all doing. Some of the people on here with their extremist and oppressive prejudicial Facebook posts and words…you know who you are, in the above comments.
And I am a democrat. I embrace my friends who are Republican and different. Still friends with them.
Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Therefore, everyone has the right to voice a problem. Good for her.
If a Democratic elected to a Westport Board endorsed a Republican in a First Selectman’s race, he can’t seriously expect the Party to support his proposed candidacy for First Selectman. Who can be so dumb as to think actions don’t have consequences? It’s proverbial political suicide. The obliviousness should be a disqualifier for holding the job.
Of course it’s about the GOP as a whole. Would you support one of these “nice” Republicans in a run for higher office, if you knew that, when push came to shove, they would line-up with the national Republicans?
Again, look at how Republicans in Congress voted on having an January 6 investigation. Now I’m sure that amongst the all-but-two Republicans who voted against an investigation of the seditious attack on the Capitol, a few would be called “nice” ones but, when push came to shove, they lined-up behind Trump.
I can be friends with people of all political stripes, but the inability of some to disassociate themselves with a party who was led by someone who inspired a seditious mob and who still denies the result of the election, a party that now uses voter suppression as an election strategy… these people do not have the moral courage to be in my circle. If it isn’t political opportunism, I’m curious what Republican values inform their views that keep them in the party, because it must be really important.
The sad thing has been that the Republicans who have taken on Trump have been retired (or retiring) office holders, retired Generals, and knuckleheaded talking heads who were shocked when they got what they asked for. GOP office holders have shown (to borrow from Teddy Roosevelt) no more backbone than a chocolate éclair. (Apologies to Liz Cheney.)
Ms. Hamlin is a respected elected town official and a loyal Democrat who has hosted fundraisers for Steinberg, Kane and many other Democrats over the years. Because she dared to raise her concerns, she is now the subject of a bullying campaign. When she tried to raise concerns in June with State Central, the committee’s response was, in effect, that “cronyism is unfortunate, but it is not against state rules”.
If Ms Hamlin had actually been the subject of long-standing multiple complaints dating back years as Ms Lautenberg and Mr Koskoff assert, then why did the DTC leadership as recently as this last January appoint her chairman of the important Communications Strategy subcommittee ? Makes no sense. It’s clear her removal from that post was in retaliation for speaking out candidly about the deficiencies in the insular and clubby nominations process. Time for a change
In response, rather than defend her record, Ellen Lautenberg points to a 14-year old bar disciplinary complaint filed against Ms. Hamlin which was resolved long ago. That sole complaint was lodged and recorded reciprocally in several other jurisdictions where Ms Hamlin is admitted to the bar (hence the multiple citations) but at bottom it arose from a single episode and not six as Ms. Lautenberg misleadingly claims.
By this post it is clear Ellen Lautenberg is trying to deflect attention away from real issues and concerns in her party. That is not leadership.
My tenure as chair of Wilton’s DTC has largely overlapped Ellen Lautenberg’s chairmanship in Westport. Over the years Ellen and the other members of Westport DTC’s leadership who I have worked with have been honest, caring, diligent advocates for Westport, our party, our state, and our country. There’s little glory in DTC (or RTC) work, and Westport is lucky to have Ellen.
As people seek to understand the motivations for this lawsuit, they may note that the lawyer Ms. Hamlin chose to represent her is the former chair of Wilton’s Republican Town Committee.
I strongly believe that Westport should not and cannot be about Democrats vs Republicans. In fact, no small town should engage in that horrible, divisive, and toxic “R vs D” debate. We are all neighbors. We should argue about the issues that Don Bergmann described because that is what matters for our town.
To be clear, I am not part of Kristin’s complaint. Further, I was just as surprised as all of you were when I saw it. But Kristin has a right to do what she has done. As an attorney, she knows very well that she cannot lie. Let the process play out
.
Yes, I wanted to continue to serve my town (our town) as First Selectman because I thought I would make a difference. And yes, I also supported my friend and BOE colleague, Jim Marpe when he ran in 2013 and 2017. I think Jim has done a fine job as First Selectman. Shoot me for having that popular opinion.
I sought the First Selectman nomination this time but it didn’t work out. The DTC’s nine-member nominating committee selected Jonathan. He will be the nominee.
Since I was actually part of my DTC interviewing process, I can say that the focus of the nominating committee was not my record nor my accomplishments in Westport but my prior support for Jim Marpe. So be it.
We have to take politics out of how we talk to each other particularly at the local level.
Let’s be less toxic and discuss things that are important to all of us.
Good luck to all of the candidates and Godspeed.
Kristan has been on the DTC for 14 years and held a few appointed positions…then why keep appointing, nominating and voting for her? Something does not add up here.
Roy – If I can GUESS, it is because so few people are interested in participating in town politics that neither party tends to turn away volunteers.
I mean, I was asked by a prominent local to join the RTC and I was sworn in, sitting next to Jim. It was only a short period of time before I dropped off and I think I was listed on the RTC for another year.
I don’t say that to embarrass anyone (including myself) – just to say that volunteers are appreciated, without much scrutiny. That likely applies to both major parties.
Between jobs, kids, etc., who wants to do this thankless stuff?
But I don’t think blaming the DTC for the behavior of the plaintiff is genuine.
I strongly believe that Westport should not and cannot be about Democrats vs Republicans. In fact, no small town should engage in that horrible, divisive, and toxic “R vs D” debate. We are all neighbors. We should argue about the issues that Don Bergmann described because that is what matters for our town.
To be clear, I am not part of Kristin’s complaint. Further, I was just as surprised as all of you were when I saw it. But Kristin has a right to do what she has done. As an attorney, she knows very well that she cannot lie. Let the process play out
.
Yes, I wanted to continue to serve my town (our town) as First Selectman because I thought I would make a difference. And yes, I also supported my friend and BOE colleague, Jim Marpe when he ran in 2013 and 2017. I think Jim has done a fine job as First Selectman. Shoot me for having that popular opinion.
I sought the First Selectman nomination this time but it didn’t work out. The DTC’s nine-member nominating committee selected Jonathan. He will be the nominee.
Since I was actually part of my DTC interviewing process, I can say that the focus of the nominating committee was not my record nor my accomplishments in Westport but my prior support for Jim Marpe. So be it.
We have to take politics out of how we talk to each other particularly at the local level.
Let’s be less toxic and discuss things that are important to all of us.
Good luck to all of the candidates and Godspeed.
Amen Don and thanks for all your amazing contributions to our town. Plenty more to come from you I am sure!
This law suit is NOT Westport.
I have known Jonathan for many years and he is a good man.
I have known Melissa for many years and she is not corrupt.
I am a neighbor to Ellen and she is a good human being.
What have we come to?
I say this as a Republican.
Don O’Day was a Democrat that supported Jim Marpe.
I am a Republican than supported Jonathan and Melissa.
Get over it.
I won’t support Jonathan in the next election as I support his opponent. But he is a GOOD man and a wants the best for Westport.
There are great Democrats in town.
There are great Republicans in town.
Embrace both.
Focus on the local issues.
Improve your town.
Respect your neighbors.
Attacking Jonathan Steinberg on his character?
Do me a favor.
Let’s forget about this silly lawsuit as quickly as possible and get on to the local issues.
With this post, Ellen has sunk to a new low. Kristin has won numerous awards and recognitions for her excellence as a lawyer, unlike Ellen. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/congratulations-order-announcing-2019s-professional-100024959.html
https://www.expertise.com/ct/norwalk/employment-lawyers#PetersHamlinLawLLC https://topverdict.com/lists/2017/connecticut/20 https://www.petershamlinlaw.com/client-testimonials.html https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A3bb220b2-8027-466a-884c-776b94ff0b94#pageNum=2. Did Ellen even manage to pass the bar exam?
There was only one case from 14 yrs ago, involving a notorious judge who both Clinton and both parties tried to impeach and remove, who retaliated against Kristin for complaining about him. And then there was automatic reciprocal consequences elsewhere, which Ellen falsely tries to make look like multiple different instances. Ellen appointed Kristin repeatedly to be Chairman of Communications Strategy. She asked Kristin to step down only in retaliation, when Kristin refused to go along with Ellen’s and Lisa’s effort to trash Jen Tooker publicly in 06880, or lie about the nominations process. Kristin’s co-chair, Jill, quit in protest, too, over Ellen’s retaliation and false claims. Ellen is trying to deflect attention away from her own mismanagement of the DTC.
Right now, the DTC has ZERO P&Z candidates because they all quit as candidates in protest over Ellen’s mismanagement of the nomination process. That’s right. Because of Ellen’s mismanagement– the Dems still don’t have a P&Z slate.
Koskoff’s summary of what happened at Sate Central is highly misleading . It was NUMEROUS DTC members and Dems (not just Kristin) who complained about Ellen to State Central. State Central merely said the described conduct of Ellen– cronyism, manipulation, falsehoods, cruelty, mismanagement– were not violations of State Central rules. Jennifer Johnson’s right: time for a biopsy of the cancer growing. Protesting Ellen’s poor DTC leadership is not treason; it’s a life-saving measure. Eight years ago, the biopsy did not destroy the DTC, it made it better.
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