New documents obtained by NBC Connecticut from 2024, 2025 and 2026 shed light on how former Hartford Treasurer Carmen Sierra used her city purchasing card, or “P-Card.”
Documents detailing spending over the three-year period show that more than $10,000 of city money was spent on luxury hotels for what appeared to be professional conferences. The purchases were categorized in the records as “ATTEND AT PROF CONV/CONF.”
To name a few: Documents show that in 2026, Sierra spent $4,048.99 on the Condado Vanderbilt, a five-star hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Negative transactions are not taken into account in this total. She also spent $1,487.33 at La Concha Hotel, another resort in San Juan. Both hotel purchases were categorized as conferences.
Documents show that charges related to the Biltmore Coral Gables, Florida, were filed in 2024, 2025 and 2026. It is a national four-star historic landmark hotel. Documents show she spent a total of $2,982.04, with all purchases also categorized as a conference. This total does not include any negative transactions.
Documents also show that she paid a total of $2,781.00 in 2025 to a company called Brightwild Booking, which is described on its website as a “travel platform that connects people in real life through personalized experiences and outstanding stays.” The company appears to be based in Florida, and these purchases were also classified as conference-related, according to the documents.
Other locations where the P-Card was apparently used in similar circumstances during the three-year period include Mexico, Boston, California, Cape Cod, Key West and Chicago.
NBC Connecticut also obtained invoices showing that more than $10,000 was spent on four memory foam chairs and footrests for the office, which was apparently approved based on a city stamp.
It is unclear whether any of the above or similar expenses in the documents violated city policy. When we asked if this was cause for an investigation, Hartford police told us they had no updates to share.
“The City’s Pension Management Unit is exempt from the City’s purchasing policies…however, the Pension Management Unit is subject to all other areas of the Department of Finance’s pre-review process,” Hartford’s 2020 P-Card policy explains.
“The cardholder must use reasonable efforts to find the best price for all items purchased,” it continues.
Sierra retired from her position as treasurer earlier this month for personal reasons.
“Serving as your city’s treasurer has been one of the greatest privileges of my life,” Sierra said at a news conference earlier this month.
Sierra came under scrutiny when police were called to her office two days after her retirement. She returned to the building without permission, saying she would collect her belongings and help her team.
“Every single penny my client spent was approved by the budget and spent in accordance with the budget and purposes of our office, every dinner, every trip and everything else,” said Darnell Crosland, Sierra’s attorney.
While Sierra’s role was assumed by former treasurer Adam Cloud, an audit is currently underway in the treasurer’s office.
“The truth will come out once this audit shows there was nothing to see here,” Crosland said.
Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam addressed the audit during a news conference last week.
“I’m as interested as you are in seeing what comes out of this. And we want to make sure, again, that we’re doing everything we can to maintain fiscal guidance and fiscal responsibility here in the city of Hartford,” Arulampalam said.
Arulampalam told NBC Connecticut he was concerned about revelations in public reporting about Sierra’s P-Card purchases.
It is unclear when the review will be completed.
City Council President TJ Clarke II released a statement Friday afternoon:
“The Internal Audit Commission is currently conducting its audit. As the process progresses, we encourage everyone to allow the review to take its course and withhold judgment until the audit is complete and the results have been made available to the public.”
https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/documents-shed-light-on-how-hartford-ex-treasurer-spent-city-money-using-her-purchasing-card/3758375/
