Valley Independent Sentinel

Staffieri’s Largest Donor Didn’t Mention His Company Runs The City’s Dump

by Eugene Driscoll | Oct 15, 2009 8:22 pm

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Posted to: Derby, Derby Election, Election 2009

Derby —

Mayor Anthony Staffieri’s largest individual donor did not disclose his relationship with the city on a contribution form filed with the state, records show.

The largest individual donor to Staffieri campaign is Richard Antonucci, who, as of earlier this month, gave two contributions totaling $650.

The campaign finance disclosure statement — prepared for the mayor by Barbara Dybas and filed Oct. 6 in the town clerk’s office — lists Antonucci’s “principal occupation” as manager at “Lowries Cafe.”

(Note: The document’s author actually transposes the lines, so that his occupation is listed as the restaurant. See form below)

Antonucci Donation

LL Lowrie’s Pub & Grille is a bar in Madison.

Antonucci is also the principal of Annex Associates LLC, the company brought in by the Derby Board of Aldermen in 2008 to straighten out years of problems and alleged mismanagement at the city’s dump.

State election law dictates donors giving more than $400 must disclose whether they have a contract with the municipality valued at more than $5,000.

The document states that Antonucci does not have a contract with Derby for more than $5,000.

How can that be, seeing his company runs the city’s dump?

Because the city does not have a monetary contract with Annex Associates, said Ken Hughes, president of the Board of Aldermen and the mayor’s campaign manager.

The deal between the city and Annex allows the private company to share, with the city, money made from recycling products such as glass and wood (Hughes briefly explains the arrangement on the city’s Web site, toward the bottom of the page).

The New Haven Register also touched upon the arrangement in this 2008 article.

Why Antonucci didn’t list his association with Annex and the city when making his contributions is not known.

He may have not been required to do so, but several donors who gave to Staffieri’s campaign are identified as city workers, including the chief of police and the mayor’s administrative assistant.

Two messages were left with Antonucci Thursday seeking comment.

The paperwork filed Oct. 6 covers donations from July 1 to Sept. 30 (click here for related story).

(Note: The Connecticut Laborer’s Political League — or its treasurer — is listed under individual donations as giving $1,000 to Staffieri for Mayor. The state lists the Connecticut Laborer’s Political League as a political action committee)

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