Urban Calls For the Dissolution Of Amistad Directors

State Rep. Diana Urban, D-North Stonington held a press release Wednesday asking for a new board of directors for the Amistad.

"The Amistad is the flagship of the state of Connecticut and belongs in Connecticut," she wrote in a press release. "It is clear that the ship has strayed from her mission to be the focal point of highlighting and celebrating the importance of the abolitionist movement. It is also clear that there has ben no fiscal accountability and presently the state taxpayers supply the only funds that the ship is receiving."

Urban has been calling for accountability since this Spring when it came to her attention that the organization had lost its non-profit status for not filing income tax with the IRS for years. After an accounting of the boat's expenses of the years, Urban said they wrote very short explanation for how they spent millions of state dollars. 

When Urban learned that the boat is in Puerto Rico as part of the making of a film, for which it was modified to resemble a pirate ship, it was the last straw.

"I think it's almost demeaning that it's in Puerto Rico dressed up as a pirate ship," she said and expressed dismay that the boat would receive only $250,000 for its role in the production.

Urban said that over the years, the organization did not grow its donor base and had spent its endowment.

Patch reported earlier that business owners are coming forward with past due bills accrued by the Amistad.