Here’s the story from Courant.com:
The state must pay more than $18 million to the owner of an East Hartford computer company that state officials had accused of skimping on parts, a Superior Court jury in Waterbury decided Friday.
In 2003, the state sued Computers Plus Center Inc. seeking $1.75 million in damages. At the time, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal claimed that, for more than 10 years, the company had been selling the state computers that lacked the proper parts.
After filing the lawsuit Blumenthal turned the case over to then-Chief State’s Attorney Christopher Morano for a criminal investigation against the owner of the company, Gina Malapanis of Hebron. The results of that investigation could not be determined early Friday afternoon.
When Malapanis was arrested in June 2004, Blumenthal said: “My office will continue to vigorously pursue our lawsuit against Computers Plus center and its owner to recover money that the state alleges was wrongfully charged. I remain determined to win a full and fair recovery of taxpayers funds.”
Malapanis filed a countersuit against the state and it was that lawsuit that the jury decided Friday.
Blumenthal is currently a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate.