SEEC Finds Elections Law Violation—

LaRocque Denied Public Financing

By John Voket

Republican Legislative Councilman Chris LaRocque, a candidate for the 106th District statehouse seat, was found to be in violation of state election law August 18. A spokesperson for Connecticut’s State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) told The Bee that a “material impropriety” was discovered during an audit of donors to Mr LaRocque’s campaign.

The agency initiated an investigation after receiving a complaint from Newtown resident Sarah Hemingway August 8. This is the second complaint filed against Mr LaRocque with the SEEC by Ms Hemingway, a Newtown resident who is a close friend and campaign manager for Representative Christopher Lyddy.

The text of Ms Hemingway’s other SEEC complaint filed July 18 alleges three issues tied to Janis Solheim, Mr LaRocque’s campaign treasurer. Mr LaRocque is attempting to unseat Mr Lyddy, a former Newtown High School classmate, this November.

As a result of the August 8 complaint, Mr LaRocque’s application for public campaign financing was rejected “with prejudice,” according to the SEEC. This means Mr LaRocque cannot reapply for funds under the program.

The SEEC spokesperson, Nancy S. Nicolescu, said a “substantial number of straw contributions were made as part of the qualification process.” She said straw contributions are those not actually made by individuals.

Mr LaRocque said the 18 donations found to be in violation were made along with more than 180 others as part of the process for qualifying for taxpayer-funded election financing. To meet the threshold and qualify for public financing, candidates must raise at least $5,000, and have 150 individual donors represented from their district.

Contacting The Bee ahead of a formal announcement of the state’s finding, Mr LaRocque said the news will in no way impact his plans to challenge the incumbent this fall. Referring to Ms Hemingway, Mr LaRocque pointed out that the complaint was filed “by my opponent’s political operative.”

He explained that a “solicitor” for his campaign “provided some of his friends with cash to make $5 contributions.” That solicitor was identified as Phil Lombardo in Ms Hemingway’s August 8 complaint.

“But regardless of how it happened, it was my business to know about it,” Mr LaRocque said. “I accept responsibility, I abide by [the SEEC ruling], and will have to work a little harder to raise money.”

Saying the situation was “unfortunate,” he explained that in the course of soliciting $5 donations as part of the criteria to amass enough individual contributions from district residents, the unnamed solicitor “covered,” or provided, the $5 contributions represented in the application as coming from the individuals named as the actual donors.

“I didn’t know this occurred, and the solicitor didn’t understand the rules,” Mr LaRocque said. “The solicitor is a friend who is no longer associated with the campaign. But regardless of the error, it is the candidate who has to take responsibility.”

Ms Hemingway alleges she encountered a person she knew as a Lyddy supporter at a local deli, and expressed surprise that the person’s three sons were on record as having signed a petition in support of, and making individual donations to the LaRocque campaign.

After verification, the three individuals in question denied making donations. According to Ms Hemingway, the initial person contacted by Mr Lombardo was told he was “only looking for signatures,” so that individual “also offered the signatures of his brothers. He never gave Phil Lombardo money, and did not know he was signing for Mr. LaRocque.”

In the August 8 filing, Ms Hemingway is on record, “reminding the commission that Mr LaRocque’s campaign already has one pending investigation against them... I sincerely hope that the commission will thoroughly investigate that complaint, as well as this one, before making a decision about his application.”

A release from Rep Lyddy identified the SEEC’s denial of funding as the first of such actions taken in the 2010 campaign cycle. It also quotes Ms Hemingway as calling the violations, “...deceitful” and “disappointing.”

“It is fraud,” Ms Hemingway states. “It is exactly what we don’t need in Hartford. Newtown deserves better.”

In that release, Rep Lyddy thanked “the dedicated staff at SEEC for their diligence in this investigation.”

“I am disappointed with my opponent’s decisions and actions so far in this campaign,” Mr Lyddy states. “As I’ve said from the beginning, this campaign is about people, the people in Newtown, and ensuring they have the best representation possible in Hartford.”

Mr LaRocque, who has noted he was a former high school choirmate of Rep Lyddy at Newtown High School, said he was most concerned about the finding because, “I am a by-the-book kind of guy.”

“We’re going to keep working hard, and we’ll take our knocks from our opponent,” Mr LaRocque said.

This is the second elections-related complaint that has come to light regarding Newtown officials this week. The SEEC is currently reviewing two separate complaints filed by Democratic Registrar LeReine Frampton against Republican Town Clerk Debbie Aurelia. (See separate story.)