Corruption in Connecticut politics

Hartford (WTNH) - They are the cases and the faces that earned us the nick name Corrupticut. Governor Rowland resigns, serves time in prison and mayors too; Waterbury's Philip Giordano, Bridgeport's Joe Ganim both remain behind bars. And now, Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez is under investigation.

"With everything that happened to Joe Ganim, you'd think people would have realized that it's not a game, not a joke," Robert Walsh, of the Bridgeport City Council, said.

Bridgeport Councilman Walsh said when Mayor Ganim was arrested in 2003, doing the city's business became difficult.

"The business, in many ways, continued to function," Walsh said. "It just seemed like there were less people that wanted to do business with the city."

A common thread in these cases: the trouble starts at home. For then Governor John Rowland it was renovations at his lake side cottage; specifically a hot tub he didn't pay for.

And, Mayor Joe Ganim had work done on his Bridgeport home by those looking for city contracts.

And now, renovations at the home of Mayor Perez has led to the mayor's arrest.

Investigations and arrests don't mean political leaders leave office right away. For Governor Rowland, the process to remove him from office began, only then did he resign, later convicted.

Waterbury's mayor was arrested but only after making a deal with the city did he resign and later convicted.

And, Bridgeport's Mayor Ganim was arrested, then convicted only then did he resign.

Mayor Perez has been arrested but is vowing to stay in office.

"I don't know when they're going to learn it just seems to be the same thing over, and over and over again," Walsh said. "Whether it's Ganim, Perez, Rowland."

Bridgeport has since revised its system of awarding city contracts.