DNC on Mitt Romney: Wanted: Answers from Romney on "Trooper" Garrity

June 25, 2007 -- While Mitt Romney is busy fundraising in Boston today he should answer questions about why his personal aide Jay Garrity continues to get paid from his presidential campaign while being under investigation for impersonating a law enforcement agent, and whether or not his donors are comfortable contributing to pay Garrity's salary. Jay Garrity, or "Trooper" Garrity, has come under investigation for allegedly pulling over a New York Times reporter, telling him his plates had been run and that he could not follow a Romney campaign caravan. New Hampshire authorities are now investigating.

When the story broke, other allegations came to light, including one in which Garrity allegedly called into a plumbing company pretending to be a Massachusetts state trooper while threatening to issue a citation to one of the company's drivers. Impersonating a state trooper is illegal in Massachusetts, and Garrity had been fined not long ago while working for then-Governor Romney for having police equipment on a private vehicle, including blue lights and a police baton. [The Boston Globe 6/22/07]

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Garrity, a long-time Romney aide, has brought unwanted attention to the Romney campaign with his troubling history of sidestepping the law, including ,while staffing Romney himself. According to the Boston Herald, Garrity may have been driving Romney around with a suspended license. In addition, claims by Romney's campaign that Garrity had police equipment because of a previous federal job appear to be false. [The Boston Herald, 6/23/07]

"State troopers are highly trained public servants who put their lives on the line everyday to protect the public, making this impersonation even more offensive to the men and women who have taken an oath to uphold the law,” said Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Amaya Smith. “As a former Governor, Mitt Romney should know how unacceptable and dangerous it is for anyone, let alone his own staff to impersonate a law enforcement officer. Mitt Romney needs to answer questions about whether he thinks his aide's behavior is okay and if not why he is continuing to pay him during his leave of absence and during these investigations. The last thing Americans need or deserve is another chief executive who thinks he's above the law."

Source: DNC