ANSONIA – The state elections enforcement commission (SEEC) has opened an investigation into former Mayor David Cassetti’s 2024 run for state representative.
That campaign was one of 22 the commission voted to investigate at a meeting April 15. The investigations were triggered after audits of randomly selected campaigns.
Commission members did not say which specific findings triggered their decision. They named the ‘Cassetti For State Rep’ campaign committee and treasurer Tony Mammone as potentially having violated campaign finance laws.
The commission, in a previous investigation of the same campaign, found last year that Cassetti’s team had failed to report about $200 in campaign expenses on time. That investigation was triggered after former Ansonia Democratic leader David Hannon submitted complaints.
The commission also previously fined former city corporation counsel John Marini $400 for campaign finance violations while serving as treasurer of Cassetti’s mayoral re-election campaigns.
Mammone, reached for comment April 17, said he was not aware an investigation had begun. He said he had recently been in touch with state officials regarding the previous investigation, but no one had contacted him about the new one.
He said he did not have further information.
Democratic Town Committee chairwoman Jacquelyn Daniels also said she did not have further information. However, she referred back to the commission’s previous findings.
“We’re aware of the review. Any review is going to be taken seriously, but in my opinion, this isn’t the first time people in the ‘Team Cassetti’ circle have had campaign finance problems,” Daniels said.
Cassetti had challenged state Rep. Kara Rochelle for her seat representing the state 104th district in 2024. Rochelle defeated him in that election.
SEEC investigations move slow, sometimes taking more than a year to finish.
You can watch the members vote to open the investigation in the video below: