By SUSAN HAIGH
Associated Press
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) _ Nearly $17 million in outside money was spent on Connecticut’s tight governor’s race, a sizable sum that could prompt legislative action by state lawmakers.
Common Cause of Connecticut is reviewing the flow of independent expenditures in the days following the election. The government watchdog group determined $16.75 million was spent just on the race for governor.
Tens of thousands were also spent on state representative and senate races.
Cheri Quickmire, Common Cause’s executive director, says nearly $17 million is “an enormous amount of money” to be spent for and against candidates participating in the state’s public campaign financing system.
Rep. Ed Jutila, co-chairman of the legislature’s Government Administration and Elections committee, said he’s open to ideas for reining in the outside spending. The new legislative session opens on Jan. 7.