Dear Secretary of State, Susan Bysiewicz: As the Elected Chair of the Connecticut for Lieberman Party, I would like to formally ask your office to request and advisory opinion from the Attorney General of the State of Connecticut as to whether candidate Joseph Lieberman circulated a false petition in July, 2006. It is against state law to knowingly circulate a false petition and I believe Senator Joseph Lieberman did that.
On July 10, 2006 Senator Lieberman filed papers which said he had the intent to create a minor party in Connecticut called “Connecticut for Lieberman.” He had at least 25 people sign the organizing form to say that they would help Senator Lieberman form a new minor party in Connecticut.
On August 9, 2006 Senator Lieberman turned in the required signatures of people who supported Senator Lieberman’s promise to create a new minor party called Connecticut for Lieberman.
The Secretary of State accepted Senator Lieberman at his word that he would form a new minor party so he could get maximum ballot access to run for the U.S. Senate after he lost the Democratic primary in August 8, 2006.
Senator Lieberman went on to win the U.S. Senate race as a member of a new minor party in Connecticut. However, it has become clear that Senator Lieberman had absolutely no intent whatsoever, at anytime, to join or form a new minor party in Connecticut. He remains a registered Democrat and he has never wanted to be a member of the CFL.
My legal question to you, which I hope you will ask the Attorney General for an advisory opinion, is, “Under Connecticut law, is it allowable for a candidate to promise the Secretary of State that they intend to do something, get ballot access, and then, come to find out, that candidate has absolutely no intention at all of ever joining or forming the party which he legally claimed he was forming?”
I think this is the very definition of a false petition, and I hope you see fit to ask the Attorney General, so we can settle this matter once and for all. Simply put, do candidates have to tell the Secretary of State the truth when they fill out official petition forms? I think they do, and I believe that Senator Lieberman did not. If you would be so dedicated, please ask the Attorney General for his opinion.
Thank you for your consideration,
Sincerely,
Dr. John Orman,
Professor, Politics, Fairfield University
Elected Chair,
Connecticut for Lieberman Party
July 10, 2007
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