In 2003, a federal jury convicted former Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim on no less than 16 counts alleging serious criminal activity including extortion, conspiracy, fraud, and racketeering. At trial, Ganim, as only an arrogant and narcissistic politician would do, took the stand in his own defense and lied under oath. Jurors decided that Ganim was not only a crook, but a bald-faced perjurer.
Once jailed, he claimed to suffer a substance abuse problem and underwent “treatment” for it. As it happens, those who do that may qualify for early release. That prison program, designed to encourage substance abusers to overcome addiction, was used by Ganim to secure an early release. He shaved some two years off his cell time. He later turned that experience into a business venture, offering consulting services to convicts who wished to likewise take advantage of (or game) that program.
