The years-long federal corruption probe in the City of Shelton has wrapped up without an indictment of its chief target, Mayor Mark Lauretti, the New Haven Register reported Tuesday.
The Register cited Thomas Carson, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as saying that the corruption probe is now closed.
Lauretti, referred to in court documents as “Public Official #1,” has consistently and adamantly denied any wrongdoing.
But federal prosecutors referred in court to a culture of cronyism and corruption in Shelton City Hall, saying developers improperly plied the mayor and others with gifts in return for favorable treatment.
The probe yielded four convictions — developer Robert Scinto, developer James Botti and his father, Peter, and former Shelton building inspector Eliott Wilson.
Lauretti told the Register Tuesday that he thought the federal investigation was politically motivated.
The mayor, who is now running for lieutenant governor on a ticket with Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, said he knew he would “stand the test of time,” and while he was “frustrated” by the whole experience, “I stopped paying attention.”
The Register report suggests the case may have been closed because the statute of limitations for bribery has run out.
