Ansonia mayoral hopeful David Cassetti’s campaign will be fined $100 for not filing a campaign finance disclosure statement as required by state law.
Update: Cassetti’s campaign filed its disclosure statement Oct. 17 at 11:17 a.m.
Town Clerk Madeline Bottone sent Cassetti’s campaign treasurer a certified letter Oct. 15 saying the campaign would be fined because her office had not received a campaign finance disclosure statement.
State law mandates that campaign committees must file disclosure statements by Oct. 10 with local town clerks detailing fundraising activities for the period from July to October.
But Oct. 10 came and went and Cassetti’s campaign didn’t file the documents.
In such cases, state law says that town clerks must notify the campaign in question by certified mail.
Bottone’s letter went on to say that if the disclosure report is not submitted by Oct. 22, state law requires that she refer the matter to the State Elections Enforcement Commission, with the penalty for the late filing automatically doubling to $200.
Article continues after the document.
Town Clerk Letter To Cassetti Campaign
Sarah Blackwell, the treasurer for Cassetti’s campaign, said Wednesday that the lack of a filing was “completely my fault.”
“I misread the calendar and thought it was due on the 29th,” Blackwell said. “It will be there either tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest.”
As of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday — closing time for the clerk’s office — Cassetti’s campaign hadn’t filed the disclosure statement.
Local Democrats said the incident shows Cassetti isn’t prepared to run the city. He was also late paying taxes that were due on his construction business, the Dems pointed out.
Eileen Krugel, the head of the city’s Democratic Town Committee, said the episode doesn’t inspire confidence as to how Cassetti would run the city if elected.
“Deadlines are crucial. It’s a poor way to show business will be handled,” Krugel said.
“I’m hoping his filing paperwork isn’t under his pile of other paperwork, like where his taxes were,” Krugel added, referring to Cassetti’s late payment of about $16,000 in taxes on his business last month. “Obviously they need to get it done.”
Cassetti tried to brush off Krugel’s criticism Wednesday.
“They’re trying to find things on me. To me this is just petty on their part,” he said. “Good luck to them.”
Joshua Foley, a spokesman for the State Elections Enforcement Commission, said Wednesday the $100 is mandatory. Penalties against the campaign could be upped if not filed by Oct. 22.
“If they don’t pay or don’t file, we’d bring them to a hearing,” Foley said.
State law gives the SEEC discretion to levy a fine of up to $2,000, Foley said.
“I don’t think we’ve ever done that for a filing violation,” he added, noting that fines for similar violations are usually $200.
Mayor’s Money
According to disclosure forms filed by Mayor James Della Volpe’s campaign, his re-election committee had $5,414.36 on hand going into the campaign’s home stretch.
The mayor raised a total of $7,615 between July and Oct. 10 — $6,365 in contributions from individuals, and $1,250 in advertisements purchased for a reception held at the home of Kevin Blake, the city’s corporation counsel, on Sept. 5.
In the same period, Della Volpe’s campaign spent $2,200.64, mostly on lawn signs, stationery, and postage, disclosure statements show.
Krugel said she was happy thus far with the support shown to the mayor and said Democrats would probably be focusing their efforts on direct mail in the campaign’s final weeks.
A list of the donors to the mayor’s campaign appears at the end of this story.
Committee Activity
In addition, the Republican and Democratic town committees each have about $4,500 on hand going into the campaign’s last weeks.
The Republican Town Committee had $3,883.45 on hand at the beginning of July, and raised $6,110 more by Sept. 30.
Of that total, $2,310 was in contributions from individuals, $1,090 was raised at an Aug. 24 fundraiser sale on High Acres Road, and $2,710 was raised at a Sept. 22 fair at Seymour’s French Memorial Park.
In the same period, the RTC spent $5,446.94, disclosure filings show. Its biggest expense was $4,020.03 on lawn signs and palm cards.
Ansonia RTC October 2013 Filing
The Democratic Town Committee had $5,811.22 on hand at the beginning of July, and raised $4,440.80 more by Sept. 30, all in contributions from individuals.
In the same period, the DTC spent $5,645.08, disclosure filings show.
Of that total, its biggest expenses were $1,500 to rent its headquarters, a $1,375 payment to Antonio’s restaurant for food, and a $1,080.21 for signs and cell phones.
Ansonia DTC October 2013 Filing
The following people donated to “Della Volpe 2013:”
John Androski
Ansonia
Attorney, Androski Law Firm
$125
Jodi Barnes-Drescher
Cheshire
Office Manager, Winters Bros.
$125
David Barone
Ansonia
Owner, Barone’s
$125
Stephen Blume
Ansonia
Teacher, Bridgeport Board of Education
$125
Arthur Bogen
Southbury
Environmental Strategist, Down to Earth Consulting, LLC
$125
Madeline Bottone
Ansonia
Town & City Clerk, City of Ansonia
$125
Patricia Burns
Milford
Retired
$250
Edward Cooke
Bluffton, SC
Retired
$250
Fred D’Amico
Oxford
Self-employed
$125
Anthony DeLucia
Ansonia
Manager, Pack All Inc.
$125
Joseph DiVincenzo
Oxford
Maintenance Tech, City of Ansonia
$100
Philip Donofrio
Oxford
Self-employed
$125
Gary Elliott
Branford
Accountant, Tomasella, PC
$100
Joseph Fasi
West Hartford
Attorney, Joseph Fasi, LLC
$125
Bartholomew Flaherty
Ansonia
Retired
$125
John Finnucan
Ansonia
Retired
$125
Linda Gentile
Ansonia
Legislator, State of Connecticut
$50
Ronald Greski
Ansonia
Treasurer, City of Ansonia
$125
Paul Haynes
Oxford
Owner, Haynes Group
$250
Clifford Hoyle
Ansonia
Attorney, Hoyle & Sponheimer
$250
Judith Hoyle
Ansonia
Retired
$125
Kay Jeanette
Ansonia
Probate clerk, State of Connecticut
$125
Frederick King
Oxford
Self-employed
$250
Tara Kolakowski
Ansonia
Government Liaison, City of Ansonia
$125
Richard Krueger
Woodbridge
Marshal, Self-employed
$125
Eileen Krugel
Ansonia
Grant Writer, City of Ansonia
$125
Elizabeth Lynch
Ansonia
Assistant Town Clerk, City of Ansonia
$125
Joseph Maffeo
Oxford
Consultant, Prime AE
$125
Debra Marganski
Shelton
Office Manager, Winters Bros.
$125
Pasquale Pietrangelo
Ansonia
Retired
$125
Ann Pitney
Ansonia
Retired
$50
Lawrence Saffran
Bethany
Owner, Stelray Plastic Products
$125
Mortimer Saffran
Orange
CEO, Stelray Plastic Products
$125
Pauline Sampieri
Ansonia
Retired
$125
Alan Schpero
Fairfield
Retired
$125
Robert Scinto
Fairfield
Real Estate Developer, Self-employed
$125
Gene Sharkey
Ansonia
Retired
$125
John Sponheimer
Orange
Attorney, Hoyle and Sponheimer
$125
Frederick Stanek
Seymour
Attorney, Welch, Teodosio, Stanek & Blake
$125
James Tanner
Ansonia
Zoning officer, City of Ansonia
$200
Francis Teodosio
Oxford,
Attorney, Welch, Teodosio, Stanek & Blake
$125
Richard Bshara
Ansonia
Finance Director, City of Ansonia
$50
Carol Forcier
Ansonia
Economic Development Specialist, City of Ansonia
$25
Scott Nihill
Ansonia
Detective, Seymour Police Department
$40
Stephen Sokol
Oxford
Retired
$200
Thomas Clifford
Ansonia
Attorney, State of Connecticut
$100
Robert Lisi
Ansonia
Retired
$100
Steven Kichar
Ansonia
Route driver, Tasty-Cake
$100
Kevin Blake
Ansonia
Attorney, Welch, Teodosio, Stanek & Blake
$125
The following companies purchased advertising for a program book or sign for a Della Volpe 2013 campaign reception Sept. 5:
Androski Law Firm
Ansonia
$125
Ansonia Shopping Center
New York, NY
$250
CDM Smith Inc.
East Hartford
$125
DeCarlo & Doll Inc.
Meriden
$250
Haynes Construction Company
Seymour
$250
Sheehy & Dillon, Attonreys at Law
Ansonia
$125
Spinelli-Ricciuti Funeral Home
Ansonia
$125
