The usually affable Hughes.
Some of you may have heard about the little brouhaha over a news briefing at the Capitol last week by Governor Malloy.
After talking on the record with about a dozen reporters about the recently approved state budget, Governor Malloy asked to go off the record for the rest of the session.
Paul Hughes, the longtime political reporter for the Waterbury Republican, objected to the governor’s suggestion and walked out. Soon, he was followed by a few of his colleagues who believed it was important to stand on principle and insist that the governor be transparent.
It’s not unusual for a public official to ask to talk to a reporter off the record, but usually it’s reserved for one on one situations. A few reporters did agree with Malloy’s ground rules, but according to sources close to the exchange, they didn’t get a damn thing out of it.
We do recall one similar incident in 1991 when Governor Weicker asked to talk to a large group of reporters, in his office, and off the record. At the time, Weicker was trying to explain his reasoning and strategy behind his push to establish a state income tax. He believed the best way to explain himself would be in an off the record session. At the time, most of the reporters present went along with the idea, except for the TV reporters who thought anything that didn’t produce video would be a waste of their time.
We understand the exchange between Hughes and Malloy is now known at the Capitol simply as: “The Hughes Incident.”
