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ANSONIA/DERBY – Incumbent state Rep. Kara Rochelle and challenger, Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti, each qualified for a state grant that will fund their campaigns.
Both candidates qualified for funding through the state Citizens’ Election Program (CEP). Each candidate has been awarded $36,500 from the program.
The public program funds campaigns for candidates for state legislative office. Once candidates qualify for the funding, they can’t fundraise for additional private contributions – meaning both Cassetti and Rochelle’s campaigns both have the same amount of money to work with.
The intent of the program is to allow candidates “to compete without reliance on special interest money” and to restore “public confidence in the electoral and legislative process,” according to the state website.
Independent Party candidate Tom Egan did not apply for the program. He has indicated on past state election documents that he does not intend to spend or raise more than $1,000 for his campaign. This exempts him from campaign finance disclosure requirements and excludes him from the state program.
Cassetti, Egan and Rochelle are running to represent Ansonia and west Derby in the state House of Representatives. Rochelle is the incumbent Democrat, Cassetti was nominated by the Republicans and Egan was nominated by the Independent Party.
Recent Disclosures
Rochelle and Cassetti’s campaigns’ most recent finance disclosures cover the period between July 1 and Sept. 30.
“Kara for Ansonia & Derby” had $34,404.48 on-hand as of Sept. 30. She was awarded the state grant on Aug. 7, according to State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) meeting minutes.
“Cassetti for State Rep” had 30 cents on hand as of Sept. 30 – but he had not received the grant at the time. He was awarded the grant two days later, on Oct. 2, according to meeting minutes.
Cassetti campaign treasurer Tony Mammone said Cassetti had $36,530.12 on-hand on Oct. 16.
Rochelle declined to provide an updated total for her campaign, saying that updated numbers will be available on the next finance disclosure deadline on Oct. 29.
Amended Disclosures
Cassetti’s recent filings also include several amendments to his July 10 filing. That filing covers the period between April 1 and June 30.
Cassetti’s original filing indicated that he had raised $5,913 from individual donors in that period. The most recent amendment, filed on Sept. 25, says he actually raised $9,626.11 from individual donors during that period.
That means about 40 percent of Cassetti’s donations weren’t originally reported on the original filing.
Mammone told The Valley Indy the discrepancy is a result of an error when uploading a data file and that he had worked with the state to get it corrected (note: the original story used the word document, to which Mammone objected).
Rochelle said that inaccuracies in Cassetti’s filings explained why he received his state grant two months after she received hers.
Cassetti has previously told The Valley Indy that the state was dragging its feet on awarding him the grant in an effort to support Rochelle, echoing a claim made by state Republican Chairman Ben Proto in September.
The corrections don’t change how much money Cassetti has on-hand. Once a candidate qualifies for the state grant by raising at least $5,800 in qualified donations, they send all money raised over that amount to the state. In return, the state gives them the grant.
That means Rochelle and Cassetti ultimately have the same amount of money to work with.
A list of donations in Cassetti’s amended July 10 filing is at the end of this article.
But first, a look at the donations received between July 1 and Sept. 30:
Who’s Funding “Kara For Ansonia & Derby”?
Rochelle’s campaign finance disclosures do not report any individual contributions since July 25. Since then, her campaign has been funded by the state grant. Between July 1 and 24, the following individual contributions were reported:
Catherine Andrews
Derby
Retired
$10
Joseph Cannata
Derby
Retired
$10
Melissa Cannata
Derby
Certified Pharmacy Technician, ShopRite
$5
Zachariah Noble
Ansonia
No occupation listed
$5
Desire Searles
Derby
Data Director, Democratic State Central Committee
$5
Jessica Barrios
Derby
Unemployed
$10
Lisa Noble
Ansonia
Educator, Bridgeport BOE
$5
Who’s Funding “Cassetti For State Rep?”
Cassetti’s campaign is also being funded by the public program as of Oct. 18. His campaign reported the following contributions between July 1 and and Sept. 30:
Brittine Thompson
Ansonia
Office Manager, The Miranda Team
$5
Massimo Andretta, Jr.
Ansonia
Work Order Specialist, Ansonia Housing Authority
$5
Massimo Andretta
Ansonia
Owner, Massimo’s Ristorante
$5
Isabella Andretta
Ansonia
Analyst, Griffin Hospital
$5
Lorie Vaccaro
Ansonia
Retired
$5
Gino Palumbo
Ansonia
Funeral Director/Embalmer, North Haven Funeral Home Inc.
$5
Michele Palumbo
Ansonia
Dance Instructor, Dance Fantasies
$5
Anthony Palumbo
Ansonia
Elevator Constructor, Schindler Elevator
$5
Kara Ann Cassetti
Ansonia
Sonographer, Bridgeport Hospital/Yale
$5
William Malerba
Ansonia
Carpenter Foreman, Henry And Gerty Builders
$5
Henry Veach
Ansonia
Disabled
$5
Marion Osterhoudt
Ansonia
Unemployed
$5
Robert MacDowell
Ansonia
Driver, Airgas
$5
Irene Osterhoudt
Ansonia
Disabled
$5
Freddy Sardo
Ansonia
Disabled
$5
Linda Vaccaro
Ansonia
Retired
$5
Joyce Cassetti
Ansonia
Retired
$10
Lina Levinsky
Ansonia
CSR, Ferguson McGuire Insurance
$5
Joseph Cassetti
Ansonia
Retired
$10
Ray Sadlik
Ansonia
Electrician, Self-employed
$5
Anthony Levinsky
Ansonia
Machinist, Lockheed Martin
$5
Joseph Malerba
Ansonia
Retired
$5
Maria Malerba
Ansonia
Food Service Worker, Whitson’s
$5
Gary Cassetti
Ansonia
Retired
$5
Jennifer Cassetti
Ansonia
Student
$5
Lillian Cassetti
Ansonia
Student
$5
David Cassetti, Jr.
Ansonia
Student
$5
Nathaniel Hardy
Ansonia
Truck Driver, Self-employed
$5
Bobbi Tar
Ansonia
Youth Truancy, Shelton BOE
$10
John Tar
Ansonia
Sgt. – Police Officer, Town of Greenwich
$5
Donna Knott
Ansonia
No occupation listed
$5
Robert Knott III
Ansonia
Retired
$5
Frank Monaco
Ansonia
Retired
$10
Nancy Monaco
Ansonia
Legal Counsel, Griffin Hospital
$5
John Marini
Ansonia
Attorney, MZS Law
$20
Sillvana Monaco
Ansonia
Retired
$5
Cassetti Campaign Amended July 10 Filing
On Sept. 25, the Cassetti campaign amended its campaign finance disclosure that it originally filed on July 10. That filing covers the reporting period between April 1 and June 30. The amended form added the following donations from that time period, which were not originally reported:
Anthony Simonetti
Shelton
Sub Instructor, Emmett O’Brien
$50
Anthony Mammone
Ansonia
Accounting Director, CFG
$5
Joshua Shuart
Ansonia
Professor, Sacred Heart University
$320
Daniel Evans
Jemez Springs, New Mexico
Particle Accelerator OM, LANL
$50
Ronald Berhle
Derby
Facilities Director, Griffin Hospital
$100
Massimo Andretta, Jr.
Ansonia
Work Order Specialist, Ansonia Housing Authority
$50
Irene Krom-Kirby
Ansonia
Retired
$25
Lizbeth Franco
Derby
Land Use, City of Ansonia
$111.11
Anna Rodriguez
Seymour
Grants Specialist, City of Ansonia
$100
Sherry Tutillo
East Haven
Clinical Secretary, Hartford Healthcare
$25
Abu Bakar
Seymour
Gas And Convenience Store, Violet Main Street Shell
$100
Ronda Porrini
Ansonia
Land Use Administrator, City of Ansonia
$200
Shelley Steeves
Ansonia
Records Clerk, City of Milford
$10
Patrick Buckley
Shelton
Warehouse Facility Manager, Serv Pro of Milford-Orange-Stratford
$100
Lori Vaccaro
Ansonia
Retired
$250
Bing Carbone
Shelton
CEO, Modern Plastics
$100
Linda Vaccaro
Ansonia
Retired
$25
Domenico Filippone
Ansonia
Inspector, Lockheed Martin
$25
Brian Laskey
Ansonia
Retired
$200
Stephen Blume
Ansonia
Teacher, Bridgeport Board of Education
$320
Peter Lumaj
Fairfield
Lumaj Law Offices
$100
David Connelly
Ansonia
IT, City of Ansonia
$50
Alexandra Pisco
Derby
Student
$5
Marc Franco
Derby
Cat 2 Leadman, Lockheed Martin
$5
Lizbeth Franco
Derby
Land Use, City of Ansonia
$5
Thomas Brockett
Wallingford
Admin, City of Ansonia BOE
$100
Ron Silverberg
Bethany
Retired
$50
Anthony DeLucia
Ansonia
Owner, Pack-All Inc.
$125
Brittine Thompson
Ansonia
Client Care Specialist, The Miranda Pillar To Post Inspection
$20
Evan Laskey
Ansonia
Student
$25
Assunta Nocerino
Ansonia
Retired
$20
Ronald Vaccaro
Ansonia
Researcher, NBC Universal
$50
Anthony Mammone
Ansonia
Accounting Director, CFG
$25
Melissa Savoid
Ansonia
Director of Communications, Bridgeport Rescue Mission
$50
James Chester
Ansonia
School Counselor, Ansonia BOE
$50
Christopher Iancia
Milford
Operations Manager, Technetworking Inc.
$100
Nathaniel Hardy
Ansonia
Truck Driver, NH Transport Inc.
$25
David Cassetti
Ansonia
Student
$25
Rich Bshara
Ansonia
Finance, City of Ansonia
$25
Gary Parker
Ansonia
(no occupation listed), SLR Corporation
$100
Max Shuart
Ansonia
Student
$25
Madeline Baklik
Derby
Retired
$50
James Lombardi
Seymour
EMT, ARMS
$25
Raymond Smith
Waterbury
Superintendent, Roma Construction
$50
Sharon Voroschak-Papcin
Ansonia
Day Program And Behaviorism, Key And Around The Earth
$100
Gary Farrar
Ansonia
Office Administrator, City of Milford
$25
Ronald Saracino
Bethany
Owner, Road Ready
$320
Stacey Mar
Derby
Retired
$5
