Republican Tom Foley is exploring a run for governor. He's also exploring ways to take shots at Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy.
One way he's doing that is by suggesting that Malloy is corrupt -- that he, among other things, gave state business to friends who did favors for him.
But when pressed later by Mark Pazniokas of the Connecticut Mirror to get specific, Foley wouldn't.
Welcome to the 2014 gubernatorial election.
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Here's the full transcript and audio.
Republican Tom Foley has formed an exploratory committee as he weighs another run for Connecticut governor. But Foley says that this time he may use public financing.
Foley is the Greenwich businessman and former U.S. ambassador to Ireland who lost a close race to Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy in 2010.
At a news conference in Bridgeport, Foley said he is exploring a run again in 2014. As he did, he immediately took on the governor, saying that Malloy is unfriendly both to business and to individual taxpayers. Foley also says Malloy has ignored the state's cities. On guns, Foley says he would he would have passed a narrower, more effective gun bill after Newtown.
He also accused Malloy of misconduct, saying the governor gave state business to people who gave him favors. But the Republican refused to provide any examples.
"It is a loaded claim and we'll give you the facts to back it up at another time. But there's more than one instance of that."
Perhaps the biggest news of the day was this: Foley, who gave his campaign a lot of money last time around, says he may use taxpayer money to pay for his race this time.
"I'm being criticized for having self financed my campaign last time, which I actually didn't do. I was very generous with my campaign but I raised over $3 million of other people's money. But I want to show that I can qualify for the public financing just like others. And it may make more sense to take it than finance it the traditional way."
Later, Foley said he could finance his own campaign if he wanted to. "But why should I? Why should I pay for my own campaign?...I know I can, but why should I?"
Foley says he doesn't know when he will decide on formally entering the race. Governor Malloy has not yet said whether he intends to seek a second term in 2014.
