Gov. Ned Lamont’s second inaugural ball earlier this month was a star-studded affair and many state contractors and special interests contributed cash to pay for the evening.
Held at the Bushnell Theater for the Performing Arts, the event ended up raising more than half a million dollars in sponsorships and ticket sales. The full cost of the event is still being determined and the Lamonts are expected to cover the difference.
By law, sponsorships are capped at $25,000 and lobbyists or state contractors are allowed to contribute since it’s not considered a benefit to a politician, but rather an official state event.
The biggest contributors topping out at $25,000 were LAZ Parking, Avangrid, Lockheed Martin, Google, Murphy’s Road Recycling, Deloitte, Hartford Distributors, Cigna, CVS/Aetna, United Health Care, Webster Bank, Travelers, and Eversource.
Company Donation amount Stanley Black & Decker $20,000 Boehringer Ingelheim $15,000 Laz Parking $25,000 Raytheon $10,000 Eversource $25,000 Travelers $25,000 Comcast $15,000 Bank of America $5,000 Webster Bank $25,000 United Health Care $25,000 Nestle Waters $5,000 CVS Aetna $25,000 Cigna $25,000 Mohegan Tribal Nation $15,000 ATT $10,000 Dominion $15,000 Hartford Distributors $25,000 Deloitte $25,000 Murphy’s Road Recycling $25,000 Google $25,000 Anthem $10,000 Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation $10,000 CT Association of Health Care Facilities $25,000 HDR $5,000 LiUNA $15,000 Lockheed Martin $25,000 CT Association of Optometrists $15,000 Avangrid $25,000 Total: $515,000
