Ex-Conn. governor’s aide pleads guilty

A state contractor and a top aide to imprisoned former Connecticut governor John Rowland each pleaded guilty to two felonies Tuesday, ending a corruption case that led to the onetime political star’s downfall. Contractor William Tomasso and Peter Ellef, who was Rowland’s co-chief of staff, pleaded guilty under a plea deal to conspiracy to commit tax fraud and bribery.

U.S. Attorney Nora Dannehy said the men ran a criminal enterprise out of the governor’s of 1 ce, with Ellef steering multimillion-dollar contracts to Tomasso in exchange for gold, cash, travel and gifts. Each faces a maximum of 10 years in prison when sentenced Jan. 13. Rowland is serving a year- and- a-day federal sentence after pleading guilty to a corruption charge. Once one of Connecticut’s most popular political 1 gures and a rising star in the Republican Party, he resigned in July 2004 after nine years in of 1 ce.

Calif. airports battle security issues

A terminal at San Diego International Airport was evacuated for about 90 minutes after a suspicious package was found by luggage screeners in a commuter terminal that handles regional 7 ights, airport spokesman Steve Shultz said. The package turned out to contain a toy and a cookie. Two other terminals at the airport were not affected, Shultz said. The discovery followed bomb threats called in earlier Tuesday to airports in Long Beach and Orange County. The calls triggered searches of both facilities, but no explosives were found. The threat delayed 7 ights at the Long Beach airport, but the threat to John Wayne Airport was resolved before 7 ightswere to begin.

By Toby Talbot, AP