Former Bridgeport State Senator Dennis Bradley Found Guilty In Federal Fraud Case

BRIDGEPORT, CT — A federal jury in New Haven last month found former Connecticut State Sen. Dennis A. Bradley Jr., 43, of Bridgeport, guilty of defrauding Connecticut’s public campaign financing program during his 2018 run for the 23rd District seat, U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan announced.

The jury found Bradley, a Democrat, guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud. Each offense carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Bradley is released on a $300,000 bond pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled.

Bradley served as a state senator for Bridgeport from 2019 to 2023.

According to the evidence presented at trial, Bradley and others conspired to defraud the State Election Enforcement Commission, the Citizens’ Election Fund and the State of Connecticut by making material misrepresentations about his compliance with state election law and the Citizens’ Election Program. The CEP is a voluntary public election financing program that allows candidates to apply to the SEEC for grants to fund primary and general election campaigns.

Prosecutors said Bradley and his co-conspirators violated CEP rules and then tried to disguise the nature of a March 15, 2018, campaign launch event at Dolphin’s Cove restaurant in Bridgeport. Although CEP rules imposed a $2,000 limit on Bradley’s expenditure of personal funds, the evidence showed he used more than $7,000 in personal funds for the event, including an open bar, food, printed invitations, a band, a DJ and a videographer.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Bradley and his co-conspirators claimed the gathering was a "Thank You Party" for Bradley’s law firm. At least eight donors gave to Bradley’s campaign at the event, and contribution cards were altered and falsified so that none were dated March 15, 2018, according to the case summary.

In April, May and June 2018, Bradley’s campaign filed disclosure statements with SEEC that omitted the Dolphin’s Cove event, the more than $7,000 in expenses tied to it, and the campaign contributions accepted there, according to the evidence presented at trial.

On May 24, 2018, Bradley applied for a CEP grant for his Democratic primary campaign, and on July 10, 2018, SEEC issued the campaign $84,140 in public funds. The grant relied on the false and misleading information in Bradley’s filings, according to prosecutors.

After a citizen complaint, SEEC began investigating the campaign, including the Dolphin’s Cove event. On Aug. 21, 2018, Bradley emailed a letter to SEEC calling the allegations "frivolous and manipulative" and stating, "This was in no shape or form a political event. … In fact, we did not collect any donations at this event and have no donations dated 03/15/2018."

On Oct. 12, 2018, after Bradley sought an additional $95,710 CEP grant for the general election, campaign treasurer Jessica Martinez repeated similar false statements under oath to SEEC, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. SEEC denied that grant. Martinez and a cooperating campaign volunteer both pleaded guilty in related cases.

The FBI investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan N. Francis and David E. Novick.