Esty: I’m Sorry For Keeping Press Out

U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty says she made a mistake holding private meetings on gun violence with local elected leaders earlier this year. In a letter published in The Courant today, Esty writes:

Two weeks ago, I held roundtables to discuss efforts to prevent gun violence with local elected officials, police, first responders, firefighters, educators, parents, gun owners and others. Concerns about the “off the record” format of the discussions were raised in a Courant editorial [Feb. 4, "No Need For 'Off The Record'"].

I chose that format because I didn’t want participants to feel they had to join in a press conference or photo-op to share their views with me and each other. But I understand this format did not allow many members of our community an opportunity to engage in the larger national conversation on gun violence and made it more difficult for the press to fulfill its role. For that, I apologize.