Gillett announced her decision in an email to staff members at PURA on Friday morning, which was followed by a press release from Gov. “It has also exacted a real emotional toll both for me personally, as well as my family, and for my team,” Gillett added. Candelora said the emails offered evidence that Gillett had sought to solidify her authority by restricting her fellow commissioners’ access to staff. At the time of her resignation, Gillett and PURA were also facing two active lawsuits from the state’s two largest utility companies: Eversource and Avangrid, the parent company of United Illuminating. Even Candelora, one of Gillett’s most steadfast critics, acknowledged on Friday that she had been an “agitator” against the utility companies.