Governor Ned Lamont has acknowledged the misuse of state cars by his senior aide, Jonathan Dach, and indicated that the issue is under review, likely resulting in Dach reimbursing the state for using a work vehicle for personal purposes.
Dach, who served as Lamont’s chief of staff for 18 months before stepping into a policy role in July 2024, is under scrutiny for personal trips made in state vehicles, a violation of state policy.
The controversy came to light after an investigation by Inside Investigator, which used state records to track the use of the vehicles from June 2023 to September 2024. The report revealed that the vehicles, which are equipped with telemetric data collectors, were used for personal purposes on numerous occasions, with some trips exceeding speed limits by significant margins.
The investigation uncovered speeds reaching as high as 113 mph on November 14, 2023, during a trip from New London to Hartford, and other instances where the vehicles surpassed 100 mph.
Lamont defended the after-hours use of the vehicles, noting that Dach’s responsibilities as his chief of staff often extended beyond a standard workday.
However, Lamont stressed the importance of transparency and accountability, acknowledging that any personal use of the cars must be addressed. Dach, for his part, admitted to occasional personal trips, apologized for the mistakes, and pledged to make amends.
The investigation found that many of Dach’s trips were related to work, including meetings, staff visits, and visits to state-funded projects. However, approximately 190 trips—totaling over 2,300 miles—appeared to be personal, with a significant portion of these trips occurring on weekends.
Dach, who previously lived in New Haven and now resides in Manhattan, apologized for the misuse of state vehicles and expressed his intent to reimburse the state for the personal use.