Business Owners Refuse Grant Audits, Facing Legal Action

0:00Two business owners linked to nearly $2 million in state grants through the Blue Hill Civic Association are refusing to hand over financial records to auditors, state officials say, Sonsere Cicero's companies, operating as SEBA, got about $1.7 million from 2022 to 20. 24. Roberta Huskies' R.H. Realty Services received $225,000 in 2023 and 2024 for mortgage. Coaching, these grants came with Senator Doug McCrory's help, and he's facing a federal pro alongside Cicero. Auditors are digging into over $15 million funnel to Blue Hills, but without these records, they can't fully check if the cash was spent. Right. Cicero has a track record of dodging document requests from past city programs, too. Folks are reacting strong to this mess. McCrory insists everything was on the up and up in a recent TV spot. Senator Netlamon's team backs using legal muscle to force compliance, and the businesses

1:01could get barred from future state funds. Senator Rob Samson calls it a red flag. Stressing due process, but noting it, looks bad with taxpayer money on the line. The audit kicked off early this year after Blue Hills reported a $300,000 fraudulent wire loss, uncovering bigger issues like poor controls and McCrory steering subgrants without an official role. The 31-severcipients, auditors contacted only Cicero and Husky held out. State leaders plan to keep pushing for those docs through contracts that demand access, while new rules on legislative earmarks head to committee. This could reshape how grants flow, and who gets held accountable down the line. Local news, powered by AI. This is Hartford News Today.