Another FOI Complaint Filed
By Staff Report at April 25, 2024 | 7:53 pm | Print
The New Britain City Journal has filed another Freedom of Information complaint this week with the state against the City and Mayor Tim O’Brien after it failed to give the paper documents on where the $100,000 used by Global Strategies Group (GSG) went.
On April 15 the City Journal sent an FOI to O’Brien asking for several pieces of information. The first was any letter written by any member of corporation counsel on if hiring GSG was considered an emergency act. Attorney John Skelly said no such letter exists.
On Dec. 24 Mayor Tim O’Brien announced he hired GSG as a PR firm for $100,000 to help promote the City against the landlords and in particular fight blight and the 911 hot spot ordinance.
According to Phil Sherwood, deputy chief of staff for the mayor it was an emergency purchase order and those only require sign-off by the mayor.
Secondly, the paper asked for a listing of how GSG spent the $100,000 given to them for media use. The Mayor’s office has claimed about $50,000 of the money went to ads and other forms of media exposure. Attorney Skelly stated that only GSG would have that information.
“I don’t believe the City has no records of how that money was spent,” said Robin Vinci, editor of the New Britain City Journal. “If that is the case, it is pretty foolish.”
Ads for 911 Hot Spots were found in The Herald, a Polish newspaper and Facebook, but the City Journal would like to see an accounting of those numbers.
“One of the things we would like to know is how much money specific newspapers were given,” said Vinci. “We have had hundreds of calls from people asking for an explanation of how the money was used. Several people have told us they believe The Herald received ‘hush’ money to speak in favor of O’Brien or not release bad information relating to the mayor’s administration.”
When asked, Michael Schroeder, Herald publisher says those allegations are untrue.
“No, any advertising revenue we receive does not affect our editorial coverage,” said Schroeder. “We always attempt to report the facts, and when there is controversy, we print both sides of the issue.”
Presently the state legislature is looking at a bill that may make it illegal to charge anyone for 911 calls.
FOI officials said it could take 90 days before receiving a response on the complaint.
