HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) _ The state's ethics office decided Wednesday to drop its investigation into whether the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport should have registered as a lobbyist before holding rallies and using its Web site to oppose legislation.
A day earlier, state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal had advised the Office of State Ethics that applying the state's vague lobbying laws to the church would likely have been ruled unconstitutional by the courts and would potentially have had a chilling effect on free speech rights.
He urged the office to abandon its investigation of the dioceses and a March 11 rally, where hundreds of Catholics were bussed to the state Capitol to protest legislation that would have changed the way parishes' finances are handled.
Following a 90-minute executive session conference call Wednesday, the agency's ethics enforcement officer said the will withdraw its request for information from the diocese and close its investigation. The officer, T.J. Jones, said it was ``the most appropriate action for the enforcement division to take right now.''
Carol Carson, executive director of the ethics office, said she was unsure know how Jones' decision will affect a federal lawsuit filed by the diocese to stop what it called an unconstitutional application of state lobbying laws. ``We'll have to wait and see,'' she said.
The diocese, in a written statement, called the decision to withdraw the probe ``welcome news'' and that it is looking forward to written confirmation from the ethics office.
``At that time we will make a decision on our lawsuit,'' the diocese said.
Blumenthal said the office made the right decision. He said he looks forward to working with ethics officials and the General Assembly to clarify and revise the lobbying laws.
Because of the ongoing litigation, Carson said she could not respond to questions about the initial decision to evaluate whether the diocese violated state lobbying laws and whether the laws need to be changed.
The bill allowing lay people to play a greater role in parish finances was withdrawn by leaders of the General Assembly's Judiciary Committee before the rally. It was then officially killed a week after the protest.
The bill opposed by the Catholics would have amended a little-known 1866 state law that sets up rules for religious corporations and societies, allowing lay people to play a greater role in parish finances. It was withdrawn by leaders of the General Assembly's Judiciary Committee before the rally and officially killed a week after the protest.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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