Attorney General and Consumer Protection Commissioner Investigating Stewart and Mayor’s Trophy Charitable Fund

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan Cafferelli have announced a formal investigation into the handling by former New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart (R) of the “Mayor’s Trophy Charitable Fund.” The probe focuses on how charitable money was managed between an official fund run by the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain and a separate M&T Bank checking account sharing the same name and includes inquiry about donations to and expenditures from the fund.

State investigators issued a subpoena to Stewart, commanding her to appear for a deposition on June 30, 2026, at the Office of the Attorney General. Under the terms of this subpoena, she is required to testify concerning “the ownership and control of the Accounts” as well as “the solicitation and/or generation of donations for the DAF and/or other charitable uses” as well as, “Any documents or communications relating to or discussing the use of the Accounts or any previous financial account used for the same purpose, during the Time Frame.”

The state is also forcing the production of extensive records, ordering her to hand over any “bookkeeping list, ledger, journal, notes, or accounting regarding the Accounts” alongside fundraising text messages and social media posts. Investigators noted that the core of the inquiry involves “the possible handling of, and accounting for, charitable gift assets”.

The Office of the Attorney General sent a formal letter of inquiry to Kaylah J. Milligan, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain. Assistant Attorney General Gary W. Hawes wrote that the office is seeking answers “in connection with the Crombie Law Report on Erin Stewart’s use of the City of New Britain’s credit card”. The state has given the foundation until June 30, 2026, to “describe the origination, nature, and charitable purpose of the Mayor’s Trophy Charitable Fund” and “identify all donations made to the Fund from Financial Account No. 2073320”, and, “the process by which distributions are made from the Fund.”

Commissioner Cafferelli issued a separate subpoena to M&T Bank targeting Account No. 2073320. This legal order commands the institution to deliver “all origination documents, including bank forms and signature cards,” and “all monthly statements, including full copies of checks and deposit slips” dating from January 1, 2020, to the present. State officials clarified that the scope of this demand directly concerns “the use of M&T Financial Account No. 2073320 in connection with the Mayor’s Trophy Charitable Fund”.

In a joint statement, Attorney General Tong and Commissioner Cafferelli emphasized, “It is our job to ensure charitable organizations adhere to all rules and regulations, and it is our priority to give donors confidence that when they give to charity, their contributions are used as intended,” adding, “This inquiry will follow the facts wherever they lead, without regard to politics or personalities.”