I defended Rep. Ernest Hewett back when he was under fire for suggesting to a young woman testifying before the General Assembly that he had a snake under his desk.   

I thought then, and I still believe, people misinterpreted his remark unfairly to make it sexual when it was meant to be a joke. After all, the young woman had just testified she was afraid of snakes.

Still, Hewett, as a result, was stripped of his leadership post, and in the outfall of subsequent reporting, we learned that the General Assembly leadership had long since stopped sending woman interns to work for him.

I also have given Hewett a pass over the years for his prominent role in the taking of Fort Trumbull homes by eminent domain. He was a city councilor who voted to let the takings occur.

I tend to be forgiving because, well, so many in the political establishment honestly thought at the time they were doing the right thing, to lure new development to the poor city.

And yet, all these years later, with the neighborhood still devoid of both the old taxpaying homeowners who used to live there or new development, I expect most people, especially elected officials, accept that it was clearly a horrible mistake and to ensure it will never happen again.

Indeed, in the wake of the city's prevailing in Kelo vs. New London before the U.S. Supreme Court, and the public outcry, a powerful majority of U.S. states passed eminent domain reform legislation, to prevent future abuse.

Connecticut, too, passed its own reform law in 2007. Hewett was one of only seven legislators in the Connecticut House of Representatives to vote against it.

He said afterwards the courts had settled the issue.

Hewett had also unapologetically opposed a compromise measure in the Connecticut General Assembly, raised after the roundly unpopular Kelo decision, that would have at least frozen the evictions at Fort Trumbull.

But it wasn't until this week that I saw the depth of Hewett's loyalty to lobbyist Jay Levin, a one-time New London politician who many believe to be the principal architect of the New London Development Corp., the agency that, following Levin's blueprint, stole away all those homes for development that never occurred.

Levin, too, is one person who we know can actually document making money off the creation of the NLDC, substantial lobbying fees paid by the corrupt administration of Republican Gov. John Rowland, which was glad to circumvent local political control of the parcel.

Hewett admitted to me this week that he submitted legislation to create a new taxing district at Fort Trumbull — another clever diversion away from local government — that was given to him by Levin.

And he admitted he doesn't understand the purpose of the measure, how it would create new development.

I think he was forthcoming at the start of the interview because he thought I had supported him over the snake remark.

But when it became clear from my questions this week that he knew so little about the proposal he had submitted to become law, he said he had to stop answering questions.

I wouldn't be surprised if the next thing he did was call Levin.

At least he knew how deep a hole he was digging for himself.

I will be curious to see how he explains to voters in the upcoming Democratic primary for his seat how he came to submit legislation, a proposed law he doesn't understand, in secrecy on behalf of the lobbyist responsible for New London's long time in the national spotlight of eminent domain shame.

It sort of makes being the laughingstock of the state over a questionable snake remark seem unimportant.

He offers in a subsequent letter to The Day more explanation of the measure, which he notes would make participating developers responsible for any bonds for infrastructure improvement, not the city or state.

One curious twist of the unfolding story is that Hewett is being challenged by Chris Soto, the entrepreneurial founder of a city nonprofit that helps underprivileged kids get into college. Soto is being supported by a Hispanic church that was displaced from Fort Trumbull.

The church has survived, thrived and grown.

Its pastor says this is the first time he has delivered a political endorsement.

Good timing.

This is the opinion of David Collins

D.collins@theday.com