Members of the Republican State Senate, who served on the Committee of Inquiry concerning former Senate Republican Leader Lou DeLuca, Tuesday called upon their Democratic alumnae to apply a similar standard and investigate State Sen. Tom Gaffey, D-Meriden, and  State Sen. Joseph Crisco, D-Woodbridge.

According to Wednesday’s Hartford Courant,  two GOP Senators – Anthony Guglielmo, R-Stafford Springs, Andrew Roraback, R-Goshen and former State Sen. William Nickerson, R-Greenwich wrote a letter to their counterparts – State Sen. Donald DeFronzo, D-New Britain, Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney, D-New Haven and State Sen, Andrea Stillman, D-Waterford, urging them to apply the same standard for an ethics inquiry they applied to DeLuca, who pled to a misdemeanor count of threatening.

Gaffey agreed to pay a $6,000 fine for double  billing the sate of Connecticut and his political action committee for expenses, the second time he has be caught engaged in this practice. Crisco admitted to forging names numerous time on a campaign fund  application which could have netted him $85,000 in public finance funds. He was denied the funds and paid a $4,000 after a one-year investigation.

Looney shot back a hair-splitting reply, saying:   “The standard the Senate has adhered to when deciding whether to convene a committee of inquiry has been based on the following: a criminal conviction or a plea deal admitting criminal wrongdoing. We think that is an important distinction to maintain.”

Looney is a working lawyer and he should be ashamed of himself.  Gaffey has copped to double-dipping from state coffers and a State Election’s Enforcement investigator, a former FBI career guy, all but said he couldn’t account for thousands of other dollars Sen. Gaffey had spent and received payment from both the state and his political action committee. That is theft of public money. That is a felony.

As for Sen. Crisco, he has signed a statement saying he forged the signature of another man who was supposed to be his campaign treasurer eight times, and Crisco initially tried to blame the mishap on someone else.  That is forgery. Those are felonies, plus charges could be added for obstruction or giving a false statement .

Senate President Don Williams, D-Brooklyn, has stonewalled any disciplinary action or discussion over Gaffey and Crisco, nor stripped either of some leadership perks which add a few thousands dollars to their income side.

It is all over the Capitol that many Senate Democrats are beside themselves over the Gaffey-Crisco matters and are fed up with Williams’ leadership in general.

There are some who are eager to ascend – led by State Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, the man who wanted to take over the Catholic Church and abolish the death penalty. He has  seethed over Williams inability to put together a budget and have rank-and-file members have to face their constituents over the dead-lock.

And we thought New York State was entertaining!