Campaign Ad Creates Flap Among Democrats

By Steve Bigham

The Democratic Town Committee has officially reprimanded longtime Legislative Council member Melissa Pilchard for using the committee’s name on a personal newspaper ad without its permission.

The $146 ad appeared in the October 29 issue of The Newtown Bee, just four days before the election. It ran opposite a committee-financed advertisement for all Democratic candidates. The bottom of the ad read, “Paid for by the Democratic Town Committee, Alan Clavette, treasurer.”

 Ironically, First Selectman Herb Rosenthal and Charles Pilchard, Melissa’s husband, both arrived at The Bee to take out ads at the same time.

Mrs Pilchard was reelected to the council’s District I, along with fellow Democratic newcomer Dan Rosenthal.

The party discussed the advertisement issue at a meeting late last week. According to Democratic Party chairman Earl J. Smith, his committee did not authorize the advertisement and some party members felt Mrs Pilchard’s actions should not go unpunished.

“As soon as the paper came out, my telephone began to ring from both Democrats and Republicans. They said, ‘Earl, we know that you’re fair, how do you explain that one candidate is being given an unfair advantage?’” Mr Smith explained Tuesday.

Angering them further was the fact that Mrs Pilchard contradicted the position of the party when she stated that all incumbents should be returned to office. Some town committee members chafed at this statement, especially since most of the incumbents were Republican.

“That was one thing, but when she took it a step further with the unauthorized ad, that’s when it became a problem,” Mr Smith added.

The town committee chairman pointed out that Alan Clavette, the party’s treasurer, was also unaware of Mrs Pilchard’s plans to run an ad.

Mrs Pilchard, who was not present at last week’s meeting, maintains she did nothing intentionally wrong. She pointed out that if candidates spend any money on themselves, they are instructed to send the bill to the town committee. Then, after the bill has been paid, the candidates must reimburse the committee. The Democrats voted last week not to pay the bill for the advertisement. 

“The Democrats had done absolutely nothing before the election. There were no fund-raisers or parties or headquarters, and I had some very respectable opponents from both parties,” Mrs Pilchard  said. “I had to do something for myself or risk losing the election.”

Mrs Pilchard said she has done mailings in the past, and she has then sent the bill on to the town committee. However, this was the first time she had taken out her own ad.

“It’s not like I did something sneaky. Twenty-eight years I’ve worked for the party,” she said.

All candidates signed a campaign financing form in the town clerk’s office stating that they agreed to be supported solely through town committee funds. Since Mrs Pilchard spent some of her own money, she returned to the town clerk’s office Monday – long after the fact – to sign an amended form.

Mrs Pilchard, 63, has been a member of the Legislative Council for the past 20 years. The local real estate agent currently serves as the council’s vice chairman.