Report Says Blogoslawski Backdated Tax Payments; Lowering Own Late Penalties; and Another Taxpayers’ at Direction of Stewart’s Office

Stewart Calls it Politics; Legislators Call for State Investigation

The firm hired to investigate allegations of misconduct in the City Revenue Collector’s Office has issued a scathing report saying that, “The evidence indicates that Ms. [Cheryl] Blogoslawski improperly backdated tax payments for her own personal benefit and for other taxpayers, including at times at the direction of the previous Mayor’s Office,” the office of former Mayor Erin Stewart (R).

The report, by Crumbie Law Group, says that an initial report had found that,

An initial review of internal City records revealed documented reports going back nearly ten years that raised concerns about the Revenue Collector’s Office, led by Revenue Collector, Cheryl S. Blogoslawski, including cash mismanagement, ineffective people management, favoritism, bullying, and a failure to train new employees. Among the most egregious reports we received related to improper backdating of delinquent tax payments to avoid statutory interest, which is not permitted under state law. These allegations were raised with the previous administration; however, given that the claims were never investigated, the allegations became the initial focus of our review.

The report goes on to say that,

Our investigation identified a long-standing practice by Ms. Blogoslawski of falsifying internal computer records relating to delinquent tax payments for real estate, motor vehicle and water taxes to avoid interest being assessed to the taxpayer that otherwise would have been due. This conduct is a violation of Conn. Gen. Stat. (C.G.S.) §12-146, which mandates that 18% per annum interest be collected on tax payments made after their due dates.

“As for her own tax payments,” the report says, “the evidence indicates that none of the tax payments made by Ms. Blogoslawski over the last four years were processed by the due date and nearly all of them were backdated to the due date to eliminate the statutory interest charge.”

The report added that, “It is not possible to discern in each instance whether Ms. Blogoslawski directed a revenue-aide to backdate her late tax payments or whether Ms. Blogoslawski backdated her late payment herself by using a revenue-aide’s assigned terminal to process the transaction. There is clear evidence that Ms. Blogoslawski altered the date on at least two of her checks for the purpose of backdating the payment.”

The report also says that, “Ms. Blogoslawski conceded that she improperly backdated payments for at least one taxpayer (Taxpayer 1) who owned several properties in the City and was significantly in arrears, but she explained that she did so at the direction of the former Mayor’s Office.”

The report does not say who “Taxpayer 1” is, but says that Blogoslawski, “stated that the former Mayor’s Office facilitated meetings between Taxpayer 1 and herself to sort out Taxpayer 1’s tax liabilities. Ms. Blogoslawski also indicated that a member of the former Mayor’s Office (Witness 8) often hand-delivered checks from Taxpayer 1 to her for processing; this allegation was corroborated through email evidence and the QDS records.”

The report goes on to say that,

Witness 8 denied specifically directing Ms. Blogoslawski to backdate payments for the express purpose of avoiding interest; however, they acknowledged that they were trying to facilitate a resolution to Taxpayer 1’s outstanding tax liabilities, and given their role in the Mayor’s Office, Ms. Blogoslawski could have reasonably felt that she was being directed to accommodate Taxpayer 1 through the “courtesy” notations denoted in the QDS system and described above. Witness 8 added that as Chief of Staff to the former Mayor they did not have any “real” authority, so they could not act without direction of the former Mayor, and therefore, anything that they did regarding Taxpayer 1 was either at the mayor’s direction or with her knowledge.

“It is not possible at this juncture to calculate the total revenue that would have been collected by the city but for Ms. Blogoslawski’s actions,” the report said, “but given the pervasiveness of the practice over many years, the total lost revenue is likely significant.”

The report also raised a separate issue, “that for several years there have been numerous instances in the Revenue Collector’s Office of large amounts of cash left haphazardly around the office and not secured.”

The report said that, “there have been repeated documented instances where cash was left unsecured in drawers or on top of filing cabinets around the Revenue Collector’s Office and cash left unsecured in Ms. Blogoslawski’s internal office drawers. In one instance in January 2024, over $246,000 was left unsecured on top of the safe.”

“Additionally,” the report added, “after discovery of the large amounts of cash left unsecured overnight, the custodial staff refused to clean the Revenue Collector’s Office to avoid any suspicion if money was discovered to be missing.”

Blogoslawski, was previously placed on paid administrative leave by the city’s new Mayor Bobby Sanchez (D). Now Mayor Sanchez says she has been fired.

In a statement, Mayor Sanchez said that,

What this report reveals is unacceptable, and it will not be tolerated in this administration. The findings point to a longstanding breakdown in accountability and oversight that allowed misconduct to persist for years. That is why we have taken immediate action, terminating the Revenue Collector, making this report public, and referring this matter to the State’s Attorney. Anyone who violated the public trust will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.

Adding that he is ordering further investigation and is strengthening, “internal controls, oversight, and financial safeguards so this never happens again,” Sanchez added that, “The people of this city deserve honesty, fairness, and accountability, and that is exactly what they are going to get.”

The Hartford Courant reported that former Mayor Stewart, who today announced her running mate in her campaign for governor, issued a written statement saying that, “Obviously timing the release of this memo to coincide with today’s press conference shows this to be the political witch hunt we’ve known it to be, and it confirms that I’m the only Republican Ned Lamont and his minions are scared of.”

But New Britain’s state legislative delegation issued a statement calling for further investigation, “including review by the Office of the Attorney General and any other appropriate state authorities, to ensure full accountability and to determine whether additional civil or criminal action is warranted.”

In their statement, Sen Rick Lopes (D-6), Rep Gary Turco (D-27), Rep Manny Sanchez (D-24), Rep David DeFronzo (D-26) and Rep Iris Sanchez (D-25) said that,

The findings outlined in this report are deeply disturbing and demand far more than internal action alone. What has been revealed points to a culture of corruption, self-dealing, and unequal application of the rules that undermines public trust and damages confidence in government. The people of New Britain deserve to know the full extent of what occurred, who was involved, and how it was allowed to continue for so long

The legislators added that the report, “raises the specter of broader corruption reaching into the former Mayor’s Office.”

The Hartford Courant also reported that, “Blogoslawski has not responded to repeated requests for comment.”

The “Revenue Collector” position was formerly called the “Tax Collector,” prior to it being converted from an elected position into a civil service position, under a City Charter change pressed for by Stewart. Blogoslawski, the former Republican holder of the elected Tax Collector position, was hired by Stewart as the Revenue Collector.

Editor’s note: the cover photo by Dr Frank Gerratana from last year.