HARTFORD, Conn., June 21 (UPI) -- Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, under fire for alleged ethical improprieties, said Monday he would resign from office effective at noon July 1.
Rowland, a Republican, began his remarks with an acknowledgment missteps led to his resignation but added, "It's been an incredible honor and I'm pleased to have served you.
"I hope there have been times I made you all proud," Rowland said on live television.
Governor since 1994, Rowland is midway through his third term. A former member of the Connecticut Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives, he is now the subject of an investigation into whether he accepted gifts from contractors who received major no-bid contracts from the state and a parallel federal corruption inquiry.
Rowland has admitted no wrongdoing in either case. He concluded his brief remarks by thanking the citizens of Connecticut for "allowing me to be your governor." On July 1, Lt. Gov. M. Jodi Rell will become governor, only the second female chief executive in state history.
