Editorial in the Hartford Courant:
Give former Bridgeport mayor Joseph P. Ganim a lemon and he will open a used car lot. Mr. Ganim has an eye for opportunity that puts other opportunists to shame.
But in his case, this often admirable gift has not been tempered with a strong ethical overlay. In 2003 Mr. Ganim was convicted on a variety of federal charges including racketeering, extortion, mail fraud, bribery, conspiracy and filing false tax returns. He was sentenced to nine years in prison.
It turns out there were still opportunities. Just before he entered prison in 2003, Mr. Ganim somehow acquired a heretofore unknown substance abuse problem. This allowed him to enter a prison drug rehabilitation program and, by successfully completing it, get a reduction in his sentence, The Courant’s Edmund Mahony reported Sunday.
By this and other means, Mr. Ganim was able to cut 32 months from his sentence. This appears on the website (www.fpcteam.com) for his new business, The Federal Prison Consultant, through which he passes on his insider’s knowledge of the federal penal system to new white-collar felons.
Mr. Ganim also is trying to reduce his three-year probation, which would allow him, without probationary oversight, to continue efforts he has begun to get his law license back and possibly to re-enter politics.
But here, as Mr. Mahony reports, his questionable substance problem may work against him.
The last-minute claim of substance dependency stuck in the craw of federal prosecutors because no evidence of it had surfaced during months of intense investigation, and Mr. Ganim had denied it. So when they learned in 2009 that Mr. Ganim had been admitted to a drug treatment program in prison that would qualify him for early release, officials added a requirement that he continue substance abuse treatment after prison.
Now federal officials are fighting Mr. Ganim’s efforts to have his supervised release shortened, saying he has failed to demonstrate that he’s taking part in a substance abuse program. Mr. Ganim declined comment.
In 2003, it was possible for convicted and sentenced criminals to arrange positive drug tests after they were certain they were going to prison, and thus qualify for the rehab program. Two years ago that loophole was closed, and now applicants to the program are required to show they were substance abusers during the year before they were arrested. That’s a step forward.
Let us hope that the rumors of Mr. Ganim’s return to politics remain only rumors. He did some positive things for Bridgeport, but he did them while he was ripping the city off. The challenges of running the state’s large cities are daunting enough without electing grifters.
As for his law license, he should get that back about a week after global warming is reversed and hell freezes over. We say this without a scintilla of doubt that Mr. Ganim will land on his feet and probably get his own radio talk show, if rehab goes as well as expected.
Somebody should ask this guy what he thinks of Mr. Newton’s quest to return to his seat in the State Senate.
YAHOOY, I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU HATE JOE AND ME SO BAD, BUT ONE THING FOR SURE THE VOTERS WILL HAVE A SAY!
I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THE HARTFORD COURANT AND WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT ME. I KNOW WHAT THE PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT WILL DO IF AND WHEN I RUN FOR OFFICE.
At the risk of being called negative by one or more readers, I am curious as to what viewpoint Hartford Courant readers hold about residents of the largest city in Connecticut and its governance. Now I know Hartford has had financial issues, a very interesting Grand List, and a great deal of help with its schools, if not with other infrastructure and economic development projects.
However with Ganim and Newton ready to put themselves in play assuming they have the “legal status” to do so, with our school board un-election being reviewed by the courts (and still receiving about 80% of our school funding from the State, aside from grants), with our Pension Plan getting annual waivers but no funds from State OMB, and one Financial Review Board in our recent history, how vibrant and healthy do we look to those who live in Capitol Land? I don’t hear them singing “Lean on Me,” do you? Time will tell.
One sentence, 81 words. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.
yahooy,
Now that we know you can count as well as write, how about joining with other Bridgeport taxpayers on December 1 at Black Rock Library for a mini-course BRIDGEPORT CITY FINANCE: 101? It’s free. There will be Q & A, an unusual opportunity in Bridgeport when the subject is City finances. And if you miss that session, there will be at least two more repeats at other locations in Bridgeport. Maybe you will find some other things to use your TSKer on? Time will tell.
The Hartford Courant has not shown one thing Joe Ganim did wrong or illegal during his time in prison, nothing. Joe Ganim did his time and paid his debt for his crimes. To The Hartford Courant, “get over it.”
Squeaky Clean Joey using drugs. I did not know that. Did you know that, Lennie?
Nope.
HEY LENNIE, WHAT’S UP WITH YAHOOY? I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS FROM MJF’S RUN FOR MAYOR.
There is no hate in my heart for anyone. I simply will not support Ganim or Newton should they actually attempt to return to the public offices they were forced from in abject disgrace.
I’m not impressed with the apparent mantra, “Saints have pasts and sinners have futures” when it comes from convicted corrupt politicians. I’ve already heard it from New York Congressman Adam Clayton Powell, DC Mayor Marion Barry and Providence Mayor Buddy Cianci, all of whom were convicted of corruption, returned by mandate to public office and convicted again. Wildly popular with the people who actually vote, not so with the apathetic assholes who complain but won’t get off their butts and go to the polls to effect the change for which they loudly call. Accordingly, the same would be true if Ganim and Newton were run. They would be reelected. Bridgeport has proven most of whom vote are connected to the machine and the rest of the voting public are too stupid to do anything about the problems that are destroying any hope we have for a return to promise.
In my opinion, neither Joe Ganim nor Ernie deserve a ‘second’ chance. They have forfeited all confidence in their fidelity to the public trust. There are better out there.
I, furthermore, do not understand what it is that motivates Ganim to even think about a return to public office. Many think he is a capable and competent attorney. His family owns an impressive and wealthy law practice. Should Joe be readmitted to the Bar his legitimate income potential would greatly exceed the salary paid to the mayor. Why would a man with that capacity deny his family the fruits of his labor just to assuage, as some have suggested, his maniacal ego?