Calling the move “unprecedented,” all 11 Republicans in the state Senate boycotted a final vote on Connecticut’s top utility regulator.

GOP lawmakers blasted a purported deal to save Public Utilities Regulatory Authority chair Marissa Gillett’s nomination – and even suggested that Gov. Ned Lamont’s office broke the law.

After the walkout, Democratic lawmakers unanimously reappointed Gillett, praising her as a “change maker” who has fought for customers.

It was a stunning moment on the Senate floor Tuesday morning.

“I am walking out on this vote,” said Senate GOP leader Stephen Harding (R-Brookfield). “I will not allow my constituents to be complicit in what has occurred here. It is awful.”

Republican senators are crying foul over a deal to advance Gillett out of a key legislative panel two months ago. Lamont agreed to appoint state Sen. John Fonfara (D-Hartford) and former Republican state Rep. Holly Cheeseman to the powerful PURA board.

Fonfara cast a critical vote for Gillett’s nomination. He recused himself for Tuesday's final vote.

“It is nothing short of corruption what has gone on here today to get Ms. Marissa Gillett’s – the chairwoman’s – vote out of the Executive Nominations Committee,” Harding told reporters before the walkout. “It is just blatant. It’s a blatant quid pro quo.”

During her confirmation hearing, Gillett insisted she knew nothing about a deal.

“It’s not just my work and integrity that has been questioned here, it is the work product of almost 80 staff who have committed their lives to public service,” she told the Legislature’s Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee.

One of Fonfara’s companies also faces $1.1 million in fines and late penalties by PURA. Fonfara’s lawyer called the fines “groundless and improperly ordered” in a March 30 letter to Lamont.

Democrats accused Republicans of making Gillett a scapegoat for high electric rates.

“If your favorite team has a losing streak, blaming the umpire is not credible. Marissa is not the reason we have high energy prices,” said state Sen. Derek Slap (D-West Hartford). “She has a clear track record – a proven track record of trying to lower rates, standing up to special interests.”

Gillett has aggressively denied utilities’ rate increases. In a lawsuit, Eversource and United Illuminating accuse the chairwoman of abusing her authority and cutting other PURA commissioners out of key decisions.

“She has done a very good job to work for consumers, which is why I think the energy companies are working so hard and pouring millions of dollars to tear her down,” Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) said. “[Republicans] have asked for a lot of information. They’ve received that information in a very timely way. If there’s anything that I think that they thought was wrong, they would have brought it to everybody’s attention.”

With Republicans absent, lawmakers re-appointed Gillett with little debate. They rejoined the Senate to approve another PURA commissioner, former state Rep. David Arconti.

Lamont recently defended the deal with Fonfara.

“He was, you know, recommended by the Democratic leadership in the House and the Senate,” Lamont told News 12 Connecticut last Monday. “And I said, ‘This is your call.’”

The governor did not address the GOP walkout after the vote.

“I am glad that the Senate agreed that these nominees have the impartial, fair, and skilled qualifications needed to oversee the regulating of Connecticut’s public utility sector,” Lamont said in a statement. “Now that these nominees have received final legislative approval, they can focus on their responsibility of carefully and meticulously reviewing every filing from each of our public utilities to ensure that these companies are acting in the best interests of Connecticut’s consumers.”

Now, Republicans are suggesting that the governor broke the law.

“I think it probably has come to the point where we will have to author a letter for the federal authorities to investigate this,” Harding said after the vote.

Tuesday's vote means Gillett will serve another four-year term as a PURA commissioner.

But another battle is looming in July, when her two-year term as chairwoman expires.