The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Ganim’s application for law license moves forward
BRIDGEPORT — Mayor Joe Ganim’s application to get his law license back was referred to a committee of lawyers on Friday.
In a brief letter filed in Superior Court, Patrick Carroll III, chief court administrator for the state Judicial Branch, stated he was referring the application to the Standing Committee on Recommendations for Admission to the Bar.
The committee is made up of lawyers who, in this case, would be from the Hartford area and have no direct connection to Bridgeport. They will review the application and make a recommendation to the Superior Court.
Ganim, who was disbarred following his 2003 conviction on federal corruption and bribery charges, filed an application in Superior Court here for reinstatement.
He also applied for a presidential pardon, a request that so far has been unsuccessful.
The mayor did not return calls and emails for comment. His lawyer for the application, Suzanne Sutton of Cohen and Wolf, was unavailable Friday for comment.
In his application, Ganim states he intends to practice general law “with a concentration on pro bono representation of indigent individuals and families.”
With his application, Ganim filed a 250-page affidavit.
The affidavit includes letters supporting his reinstatement from attorney Robert Berchem of Milford; Scott Wilderman, CEO of Career Resources; H. Richard Borer Jr., president of Goodwill Industries of Southern New England; William Lay, director of the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Bridgeport and Joseph Carbone, CEO of Workplace Inc.
Included are press releases from Career Resources and Workplace touting Ganim’s creation of the city’s Initiative for Re-entry Affairs and the mayor’s work with helping convicted felons adapt back into the community.
There is also a link to video footage from Ganim’s Jan. 16, 2015, apology at the East End Baptist Tabernacle in Bridgeport and a recording of a March 11, 2015, radio show in which Ganim also apologizes for his past criminal actions.