State Sen. Alex Kasser announced in a Medium blog post that
she is resigning in the state’s 36th Senate District for personal reasons that
she elaborated on:
“For nearly three years, I’ve been trying to divorce Seth
Bergstein. As all survivors of domestic abuse know, emancipating ourselves is
an epic struggle that takes years, requires unflinching courage and all our
resources - mental, physical, and financial. Seth uses his powerful position at
Morgan Stanley to enable his conduct, so I must work even harder to fight for
my freedom. Because of the enormous time and energy this consumes, I can
no longer serve my constituents to my fullest ability.”
The 36th Senate District includes Greenwich, parts of Stamford and New Canaan. She says in the post that she can no longer live in Greenwich because it is “too painful” to be there currently, citing her ongoing family issues.
“It is loaded with memories of the 20 years I spent raising my children here. It is too painful to be in Greenwich now that I’ve been erased from their lives, just as their father promised would happen if I ever left him,” she says.
She also alleges that her husband “tried to destroy” the reputation of her current partner Nichola Samponaro, who is also a Greenwich resident.
“Seth Bergstein has tried to destroy her too - with lies about our relationship and harassing court motions that mention her 56 times for no relevant reason- she had nothing to do with ending my marriage. The truth is that Nichola’s love, support and willingness to volunteer for me, despite being publicly shamed for her presence in my life, gave me the strength to endure this personal battle and fulfill my responsibility to the public. I will not stay silent as a homophobic, entitled man attacks my partner.”
News 12 reached out to Bergstein's attorney, Janet Battey, for a response, who said, "Ms. Kasser’s outrageous allegations and narrative couldn’t be further from the truth. Ms. Kasser sadly continues to wage a public battle in the press while simultaneously dragging out the court proceedings. Throughout the marriage, Ms. Kasser described Seth as a devoted father and patient and loving husband. Seth and his three children sought to keep this matter private, but Ms. Kasser continues to make blatantly false public statements in furtherance of her own agenda. Mr. Bergstein trusts the legal system and family court and that the upcoming trial will reveal Ms. Kasser’s narrative for what it is."
Senate President Martin M. Looney also released statement regarding Kasser's resignation, which reads, "Senator Kasser was a highly talented member of the Senate Democratic caucus and was respected by all of her colleagues in the General Assembly. She was a strong and effective advocate for her constituents and also had a passionate commitment to policies to benefit the entire state. She will be missed at the Capitol, and I wish her the very best in the future both personally and professionally."
Kasser, a Democrat, has been representing the district since 2019. She was the first Democrat to win the seat in a century and narrowly won reelection last fall.
