Community Corner
Report: Merrill Used Secretary of the State's Office to Notify Democratic Activists
The Connecticut Secretary of the State reportedly sent email newsletters over the course of the last few months through her taxpayer-funded office, according to a recent report.
By Patch Editor Ronald DeRosa
Secretary of the State Denise Merrill is facing accusations that she has been utilizing her taxpayer-funded office to maintain a computerized list of thousands of Democrats to whom she has sent emails over the past summer.
The Hartford Courant's Jon Lender reported this weekend that Merrill, an advocate for clean elections in Connecticut, has been emailing a publication called "News From Denise Merrill, Secretary of the State," to more than 5,000 recipients since last June.
The Courant reported that the names on the email list include political donors and members of the state's Democratic establishment.
Merrill declined to speak to the Courant when Lender sought a comment on the matter, however she released an email statement to the newspaper saying the initial list was built up over a long period of time, and that, as the list continues to build, it will in the future "reflect the political and geographical diversity of those interested in the mission of this office."
Read the full story on The Courant's website.
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