Jacqueline Kozin
Executive Director of the Connecticut Democratic Party.

Dear. Ms. Kozin

REMOVE JOSH FEDELI AS CHAIRMAN OF THE STAMFORD'S DCC - Please DO NOT ignore this matter.

On December 31, 2021, the local newspaper, Stamford Advocate ran an article about Stamford’s DCC chair, Josh Fedeli. The headline said, “City reps. accuse Stamford Democratic chair of ‘bullying’ women; Josh Fedeli withdraws bid for city role”. As I read the caption, I felt relieved and elated that finally, some women had the courage to speak up about the abuse tactics by Josh Fedeli.

Our DCC Chairman, Josh Fedeli is a misogynist and behaves like a tyrant. He manages the DCC pushing the limits of his authority. He has gone as far as to say that he’s well connected and knows many people in high places watching his back. He specifically mentioned Connecticut’s Attorney General, William Tong, and also mentioned the Malloy family as backing him. With his long history of intolerable behavior patterns, it is clear that he feels confident enough to be a bully and discriminate with no repercussions because of the people he knows.

What’s even more alarming is the way he excuses his Machiavellian behavior towards women. Many have witnessed his bullying and condescending behavior towards women, many of the DCC women have witnessed it as well, but because they have his support, they would rather remain silent than speak up, in fear of his retaliation or even worse, fearing that he will talk to his allies in high places and label them as troublemakers, or finding people to run against them to remove them from their positions.

We feel truly disappointed and betrayed by our newly elected Mayor, Caroline Simmons, with her nomination of Josh Fedeli for a city role. Being the first woman to be elected as Mayor of our city, to nominate him is more like a reward for the way he has supported her political career. How could she have been so oblivious to the way he uses his power to intimidate people, especially women?

Now that he has withdrawn his nomination we fear how he’s planning retaliation against those who spoke up, he’s a vindictive person and he will go after them.

As if his bullying behavior wasn’t enough, instead of apologizing or giving a reasonable and responsible response, he simply states that the Representatives are speaking up solely to “settle personal political scores.”, completely undermining them, instead he makes them out to be like women looking for revenge. This is not a person who should be leading a party that celebrates women’s rights. How could we speak about women's rights and support a man like Fedeli to remain as our Chairman?

Please investigate the claims so that women are no longer in fear and so that we can finally have a chairman worthy of this position. Fedeli’s use of intimidation and abuse does not align with our Democratic values.

Martin Luther King Jr. said, “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.” With your silence, you will empower this man even more. Now that Fedeli has the personal support of the Mayor of Stamford, Caroline Simmons, and counts on the friendship and support of Democratic leaders in high places, it’s terrifying to even imagine how he would retaliate and use his tyranny.

Regards,
DCC Members & Concerned Citizens