Len Besthoff is the Chief Investigative Reporter for the NBC Connecticut Investigates team.
Since joining NBC Connecticut in October of 2013, Len has brought change and broken a number of stories with statewide impact including patient abuse at Connecticut’s maximum security psychiatric hospital, glitches with the Connecticut’s DMV software, and the state’s new “Next Generation 911” system. Len has also uncovered wrongdoing by elected officials, and held public utilities accountable for their treatment of ratepayers.
Len concentrates on stories using data, records, and whistleblowers to expose waste, corruption, and wrongdoing. He advocates for protecting and improving our state’s Freedom of Information statutes, and is on the board of the Connecticut Foundation for Open Government (CFOG).
Previously, he worked for WFSB-TV in Hartford for 11 years, and was part of the station’s investigative unit, breaking a number of big stories, and receiving a number of awards for his efforts.
Len has covered major news stories on the East Coast and New England for 25 years, including 9/11, numerous hurricanes and snowstorms; and major stories in Connecticut, including the violence in Newtown and at Hartford Distributors in Manchester, along with the arrest of Hartford’s mayor.
He also worked for WRAL-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina, WDBJ-TV in Roanoke, Virginia, News12 Connecticut in Norwalk, and TV-34 News in Wall Township, New Jersey. He was born in New York City and grew up in northern New Jersey. He graduated from Wesleyan University in Middletown with a major in Economics.
When he’s not working, you will often find Len out working in his yard, running, or playing golf. Len and his wife support a number of community events. He is the celebrity host of the annual Children’s Associated Theatre of Manchester (CAST) Golf Tournament.
The Latest
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Small businesses struggle with rising electric costs
While residential electric bills went up 20, 30, even 40 percent in the last several months, some small business owners have seen their bills jump 50 percent or more. Leed Himmel Industries in Hamden makes a variety of aluminum products in an operation that requires a lot of power. “We’ll use about a million and a half kilowatt hours this…
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Just how did this electric bill hike happen in Connecticut?
Chances are you’ve heard about a major shock from electric rates in Connecticut. In some cases, people have seen their bills go up by hundreds of dollars. It has impacted Eversource customers the most, but those with United Illuminating are feeling it too. NBC Connecticut Investigates looked at what is behind this rate hike. For starters, the portion of...
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Bill Looks to Extend Concrete Assistance Program
The company set up by the state to give financial assistance to hundreds of homeowners with crumbling concrete basements may get more time to get its work done.
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Outrage Prompts Board to Reverse Decision to Change Form of Government in Somers
Taxpayers in Somers gave town leaders an earful after a vote that changed the town’s form of government, turning over daily operations from the first selectman to an unelected administrator instead.
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Strong Words on Slavery: Concerns Raised After Email Blast by CT Professor
A state university professor is denouncing an award-winning initiative named The 1619 Project, calling the project and its creator misleading, bigoted, and more. But the professor’s critique, and how he distributed it, has raised questions.
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Bloomfield Fire District Employee Terminated Over PPP Loan
A Connecticut fire district has terminated the employee who got it a Paycheck Protection Program loan that raised questions last year.
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CT School Districts Seek to Enrich Learning After Year of COVID-19
As some students struggle after more than a year of closures, remote learning and other disruptions during the pandemic, school districts are looking at ways to help those students get back on track.
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Letter Details COVID-19 Concerns at Connecticut DMV Branches
Unions representing hundreds of employees at the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles have expressed “serious” concerns about COVID-19 at one of the agency’s largest branches. Union leaders said their warnings have fallen upon deaf ears from DMV management. In an April 2 letter to DMV management obtained by NBC Connecticut Investigates, union leadership stated there has been a “sudden spike”…
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Fire District Returns Paycheck Protection Program Loan
A Bloomfield fire department has voted to return a $120,459 paycheck protection program loan it received.
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Water Customer Win: Class Action Suit Netted CT Ratepayers Significant Savings
A large chunk of Connecticut homeowners just received hundreds of dollars’ worth of credits on their water bills to settle a major class-action suit. NBC Connecticut Investigates started digging into their story more than seven years ago. That’s when the Metropolitan District Commission, or MDC, the main water supplier in greater Hartford, was accused of overcharging roughly 9,000 customers....
