Part 20 (2/2)
33.
GO AHEAD, ASK YOUR QUESTION.
June 8, 2001 Given a choice, Governor Rowland would have stayed as far away from New London as possible. Lawsuits, protests, and nasty brawls playing out like a soap opera on the pages of the city newspaper were not the kinds of things a politician would gravitate toward in an election cycle. But on this day, the governor had to return to New London and its Fort Trumbull neighborhood. Eight months behind schedule, Pfizer was finally ready for the grand opening of its new research facility.
In a carefully crafted statement, Rowland praised Pfizer and lauded the state for its role in bringing the world-cla.s.s operation to New London. He avoided any mention of the battle being waged by homeowners just one block away. Pfizer officials distanced themselves from the mess too.
For the day, the status quo prevailed. But the governor and Pfizer executives all knew the ticking time bomb next door was about to go off.
July 3, 2001 It was nearly eleven in the morning when Claire Gaudiani sat down in her lawyer's conference room, took an oath to tell the truth, and faced Dana Berliner and Scott Bullock. The two lawyers had decided Berliner would handle the questioning.
After reviewing the rules of a deposition, Berliner suggested they begin with some background on Claire's role as president of the NLDC. ”What are your day-to-day responsibilities as president?” she asked.
”I don't have any day-to-day responsibilities,” Claire said. ”I am a volunteer president.”
Berliner moved to Claire's early involvement in the plan to redevelop the Fort Trumbull area. ”You were involved in putting together the initial proposal?” Berliner asked.
”You will have to clarify what you mean,” Claire said.
”Were you involved in putting together the proposal for the redevelopment of the Fort Trumbull area that was then presented to the City of New London or to Pfizer or the state?”
”The problem is the wording. 'Proposal' is a nonspecific enough word. So you need to focus on what you are asking me so I can answer you.”
Berliner knew she was in for a long day.
Claire explained that when she had taken over as the NLDC's president, she had made it a top priority to entice a Fortune Fortune 500 company to the city. ”Pfizer was a wild and crazy possibility that I introduced early,” Claire said, ”saying, 'Wouldn't it be great if Pfizer would do that?' And I was told Pfizer needs land, but they have two sites already selected, and they are already under way with the decision between the two, so New London will not be considered ... And then the magic happened.” 500 company to the city. ”Pfizer was a wild and crazy possibility that I introduced early,” Claire said, ”saying, 'Wouldn't it be great if Pfizer would do that?' And I was told Pfizer needs land, but they have two sites already selected, and they are already under way with the decision between the two, so New London will not be considered ... And then the magic happened.”
Claire's word choice intrigued Berliner. Magic is the practice of attempting to produce supernatural effects or control events in nature through the use of charms, spells, or rituals, or the exercise of sleight of hand or conjuring for entertainment. A bilingual professor who frequently spoke to prestigious groups about language, Claire tended to choose her vocabulary carefully. But Fortune Fortune 500 companies typically bowed to money and other financial incentives, not magic, when making decisions as important as where to construct a world headquarters for research and development. Berliner probed further. 500 companies typically bowed to money and other financial incentives, not magic, when making decisions as important as where to construct a world headquarters for research and development. Berliner probed further.
Claire confirmed that she had turned her energies toward getting Pfizer to change its mind. ”We began to see what would need to be done in order to get a confirmation from Pfizer that they would turn down the other two sites,” Claire said.
”Do you know at approximately what point in the plan it came to the decision that the existing homes and businesses would be moved?”
”I think your question a.s.sumes,” said Claire, ”that all of the properties would move. And that would be incorrect.”
Claire's answer surprised Berliner. She asked if Claire interpreted the plan to say that homes and businesses in Fort Trumbull would be incorporated into the development.
Claire chastised Berliner for acting as if she didn't know that there had been extensive discussions about saving the homes in Fort Trumbull. ”I worked very hard to try to raise the money to move them,” she said. ”Tried to get the governor to help me, but he wasn't able to work it out. It is very expensive to move houses.”
This was news to Berliner and Bullock.
”You are saying that you attempted to get funding to move the houses of the plaintiffs in this lawsuit-and you weren't successful?” Berliner asked.
”Sure,” Claire said. ”I am sure you have come to that information before a discussion with me.”
”Not exactly,” Berliner said.
”If your own plaintiffs haven't told you, you have been misserved. It means you have been headed in, unfortunately, a misinformed direction. I am sure you probably do understand this.”
”I have heard something about it,” Berliner said. ”Getting it from someone who knows all the facts is not the same as hearing about it generally.”
”I don't operate at the facts level,” Claire said. ”I operate at the conceptual level.”
Unable to maintain his poker face any longer, Bullock's jaw dropped.
It turned out, Claire insisted, that the cost of relocating the homes was simply prohibitive.
”So is it correct that the barrier to allowing the houses to stay in the MDP area is a financial one?” Berliner asked.
”I would have to characterize it as the major barrier.”
Claire's story seemed to be coming out of left field. Nothing in the record supported her account, nor did any of the testimony from anyone previously deposed.
”When did you make these efforts to talk to the governor about getting funding?” Berliner asked.
Claire pointed to an e-mail with George Milne and a directive to ”talk to the governor.” ”That is what we were trying to figure out,” Claire said, ”to get his advice on which of the state agencies might be able to figure out how to provide funds to move houses.”
Bullock looked at the time. He had an appointment with a critical expert witness. Both sides agreed to recess briefly while Bullock and Berliner stepped outside. As soon as they were in private, they burst into laughter.
”This woman is unbelievable,” Berliner said.
”She's even worse than what anybody had made her out to be,” Bullock said. ”She is one of the most insufferable people I've ever met. Her arrogance is breathtaking.” Berliner agreed. ”With her it is truly a parody of a condescending, elitist academic who knows better than anyone in the room,” Bullock said, ”and certainly better than the folks in Fort Trumbull.”
Berliner still had a long way to go in the deposition. Bullock wished her well.
When the two sides resumed, Berliner asked the court reporter to mark a doc.u.ment as Gaudiani Exhibit 1. Then she handed the doc.u.ment to Claire to examine.
”This is a letter that you sent in March of 1998 to Susette Kelo, one of the property owners in the Fort Trumbull munic.i.p.al-development-project area. Is that right?” she asked.
”Yes,” said Claire.
The letter announced the NLDC's plans to purchase options on properties in the Fort Trumbull neighborhood, and it promised that Susette would not be suddenly forced to move from her property without notice.
”I notice that this letter doesn't mention the possibility of eminent domain. Why not?”
”I have no idea,” Claire said.
”In the development stages of the Fort Trumbull concept, did you suggest that it would be necessary to have the power of eminent domain?”
”No.”
”Who suggested that?”
”I have no idea.”
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