NEW HAVEN, Ct. – A federal judge has rejected a request from Connecticut's chief state's attorney to arrest former Gov. John G. Rowland (search) on state ethics charges.
Rowland, who is serving a yearlong federal prison sentence for corruption, has been under state scrutiny for months as prosecutors worked to determine whether a $5,000-a-month consulting deal violated the state's so-called "revolving door statute."
Chief State's Attorney Christopher Mrevolving door statute prohibits a state official from representing anyone in negotiations with his former agency. After Rowland resigned last year, he took the consulting job for Klewin Building Co (search)., which was in a construction contract dispute with the University of Connecticut.
Morano said the judge believed that was not a violation of the law. It would have been the first time the revolving door statute had been used in a criminal charge, Morano said.
A message was left with Rowland's attorney.
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