GOP gubernatorial hopeful Erin Stewart drops bid as new spending probe triggers investigations

Former New Britain mayor Erin Stewart suspended her campaign for Connecticut governor after a city-commissioned report detailed tens of thousands in personal charges on her city credit card, including clothing charged as office expenses and photos showing items identical to those billed. The report suggests potential campaign-finance violations and other legal issues, prompting referrals to state and federal authorities as the FBI and state police open investigations; the timing follows a GOP convention context with a $2.8 million public grant potentially at stake. Reimbursements cited in the report were minimal.