By Kathleen Megan
www.ctmirror.orgThe Partnership for Connecticut has invited the public to the first “organizational meeting” of its governing board on Oct. 18, but it’s unclear what portion of that meeting — or subsequent meetings — will be open, or what the board will be discussing.
The new partnership and its board — a private, nonprofit organization created to carry out a public-private collaboration between the state and Dalio Philanthropies — has been the subject of controversy since lawmakers exempted it from state disclosure and ethics rules even though taxpayer money is being used in the endeavor. Dalio Philanthropies is the philanthropic arm of Ray Dalio, founder of Westport’s Bridgewater Associates.
Andrew Ferguson, a senior staff member at Dalio Philanthropies, declined through a spokeswoman to be interviewed today.
The spokeswoman instead issued a statement from the partnership saying, “As with all nonprofit boards, portions of Partnership board meetings will happen in closed executive session.”