Illegal contribution

Respose to an article in the Stratford Star:

The following is a chronicle of the events leading up to my complaint to the State Elections Enforcement Division regarding the possible violation of election laws regarding the donations that can be made by candidates running for office. In early August, 2013, I obtained information that Joe Paul, an unendorsed candidate for Mayor of Stratford, had been in violation of the State Election Laws, by making an illegal contribution to his own exploratory committee. The amounts are not important because there are no degrees of illegal election law violations, only illegal election law violations, which carry a $2,000.00 fine. All this after being denied the endorsement of the Democratic Town Committee.  I can understand why he was denied, I can’t understand why he would want to challenge the decision of the majority of his party.

On Aug. 19,2013 I received an e-mail from the Stratford Star asking if they could get a copy of the complaint , “that I have been told, you filed with the State Election Commission, regarding a campaign “gift” of $500.00 to Joe Paul’s election campaign, by  Joe Paul ,himself.”  There is a document that every candidate gets that states the rules for exploratory committees and how much they can contribute to their own candidacy’s election campaign. Paul’s would have been $375.00. So for $125.00, Candidate Paul violated State Election Law. And he wants to be Mayor?

In Paul’s rebuttal he states that, “At the time I made the contribution (illegally), I thought that my limit was unlimited”.  I would think that someone who is going from the banking business,  which has not had a good reputation since the implosion of 2008, would have carefully examined all the rules, regulations , and laws of the next business he wanted to enter, or had professional  assistance as he went  through the unchartered waters of politics in Stratford. Or maybe he has.

  He also states that when he contacted the Election Commission, regarding his illegal contributions  to himself, he states that he was told, at that time, by someone from the commission , “ Well, it’s only   $125.00, don’t lose any sleep over it”. My question is who was the State employee who would say to a person who had just told them that he had violated Ct. State Election Laws, that “It’s only $125.00, don’t loose sleep over it.” I want his badge #, his name, and proof that he said it to Joe Paul.

I have written articles regarding Joe Paul, and I am a Daponte guy. So what? This is not slinging mud, this is telling the truth, if you have a problem with truth, either state you case, or your rebuttal , or get out of the race and let the people decide, without a spoiler in the race, who can get Stratford out of “business as usual, good ‘ole boys, and powers that be, mode of cop-outs”.