Stamford Advocate

Lamont hires cousin’s son for $52Kayear job

- By Kaitlyn Krasselt

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Gov. Ned Lamont has hired one of his relatives to serve as a $52,000 per year aide in his office.

Charles Lamont Wolcott, the son of one of Lamont’s first cousins, will serve as a “bodyman,” traveling with the governor to his daily events, according to a source familiar with the hire.

“He was a trusted confidant of the governor’s during the campaign and he remains a trusted confidant of the governor,” said Max Reiss, a spokesman for the governor. “Charles, based on his role in the campaign, exhibited that to the governor, which is what makes him uniquely suited for this role.”

Wolcott, a 35yearold amateur rap artist

from Massachuse­tts, with few government credential­s, worked for Lamont’s campaign. He began work for the Governor’s Office this week. Wolcott’s salary is $52,000. Reiss said the hire was reviewed internally by the governor’s legal counsel, but was not required to be reviewed by the Office of State Ethics.

Wolcott often performs

under the name MC One Con, according video clips of him performing that have been posted to Instagram.

In a video published to YouTube in May, Wolcott raps about the “cycle of life” wearing a “Ned for CT” Tshirt. Several other videos posted to his YouTube channel include offensive content and language, and in one he is shown pretending to shoot a group of “thugs.” In another, he pretends to waterboard

someone. The videos were taken down Tuesday afternoon.

Reiss declined to comment on the videos. Wolcott did not answer a call to his last known phone number.

Earlier this week, former Department of Public Health employee Andrea Lombard was fined $2,500 for violating the Code of Ethics by using her state position to help her daughter get hired for a temporary summer position and failing to disclose the conflict of interest.

The state statute only applies to immediate family members including spouses, children, children’s spouses, parents or siblings of government employees and elected officials. As a result, Lamont would not be required to notify the Office of State Ethics to hire Wolcott.

 ?? YouTube / Contribute­d photo ?? In a video published to YouTube, Charles Lamont Wolcott raps about the “cycle of life.”
YouTube / Contribute­d photo In a video published to YouTube, Charles Lamont Wolcott raps about the “cycle of life.”
 ??  ?? Gov. Ned Lamont
Gov. Ned Lamont

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