Tom Tyler's Response to Santanella Campaign's Baseless Accusations

Santanella Campaign Operatives continue to spread falsehoods about Tom Tyler's campaign for the Democratic nomination for the 58th Assembly District. Santanella's attempt to kick Tom off the ballot failed after the Connecticut Supreme Court reversed a lower court decision and ordered that Tom Tyler's name be restored. A special primary has been scheduled for Tuesday, September 1st. One of the most despicable falsehoods being spread by Santanella operative centers around misconstruing Tom Tyler's Legal Opinion about displaying flags on government buildings as "homophobic."

To set the record straight this is what really happened:

In January, 2024 as Interim Town Attorney, Tom issued a legal opinion regarding the constitutionality of enacting a municipal flag resolution in Enfield. To briefly summarize, Tom's opinion said:

1) That should the Town Council decide to display only government flags on government property, any litigation by individuals or groups appealing denial of their requests to display non-governmental flags would fail. Limiting only government flags to be displayed on government property is constitutional.

2) That should the Town Council decide to allow non-government flags to be displayed on government property, then it must not discriminate against any individual or group requesting to display any non-government flag. Once you allow any non-government flag to be displayed you must allow all non-government flags to be displayed. To allow one but not all would be unconstitutional.

It's up to the Enfield Town Council to decide which option it chooses. Not Tom Tyler.

Regarding those ridiculous "homophobic" allegations, Tom's responses follows: "the Declaration of Independence states that certain unalienable rights are given to all people by their Creator and that governments are created to protect these right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Throughout my life I've embraced that phrase and treated everyone I've ever met with dignity and respect according to the letter and spirit of everyone's right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Restated simply: Tom wholeheartedly believes in the saying: Live and Let Live.

Santanella and his operatives are entitled to opinions - Santanella is not entitled to rewrite history by false, misleading allegations to smear Tom Tyler's campaign.