Rowland Friends Plead Fifth
Gov. John G. Rowland's friends are asserting a Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination rather than cooperate with a House impeachment inquiry into Rowland's acceptance of gifts and favors.
Vincent DeRosa, the governor's former driver and recently retired state director of homeland security, is the latest. In a one-sentence letter released Wednesday, attorney Hubert J. Santos invoked the Fifth Amendment privilege on DeRosa's behalf.
For now, DeRosa and Rowland's other friends and associates are only refusing to provide subpoenaed documents, but the stakes soon will rise sharply: The House impeachment committee intends to demand public testimony in the next 10 days from the same unwilling witnesses.
In what promises to be a public relations debacle for the governor, a parade of people is expected, each taking a turn refusing to answer questions about dealings with Rowland on the grounds of self-incrimination. The U.S. attorney's office is conducting a criminal investigation into those same dealings.
Seems you can't get a straight answer out of these folks. Well, stock up on popcorn. Of course, Rowland has been complaining of all the money wasted on the inquiry, to which the Committee co-chair replied, if you want to save money, do the right thing and resign.
more:
The co-chairmen of the impeachment panel, Democrat John Wayne Fox of Stamford and Republican Arthur J. O'Neill of Southbury, said Wednesday that they intend to compel the witnesses to appear, even if only to take the Fifth Amendment.
"It runs the risk of turning into something of a circus, because I think we've all seen the newsreels from the 1950s," O'Neill said, referring to anti-Communist congressional hearings. "I don't want that image. But I think if people are going to assert their Fifth Amendment privileges, it's not something they can do in such a way so that nobody ever finds out about it."
"It may end up as Fifth Amendment Day at the state Capitol," Fox said. "They have the right to do that, but if they want that right they are going to come to us in a public forum and respond in a public way - and not hide behind their lawyers."
The governor's personal lawyer, William F. Dow III, criticized the plan as a media sideshow.
"If they want to engage in a parade for publicity purposes, with the sole intent of embarrassing the individuals, then I expect the committee gravely misperceives its mandate," Dow said. "It certainly doesn't engender faith in the fairness of this proceeding."
As he was leaving the Capitol with his dog, the governor said he had no problem with his friends taking the Fifth. "Hey," Rowland said, "everyone's got rights."