A lawsuit accuses the city’s Republican Town Committee chairman of orchestrating and participating in the theft of hundreds of lawn signs urging residents to vote “no” in an April referendum.
Those are the accusations in a small claims lawsuit leveled against Bomba and the Republican Town Committee by Sam Rizzitelli and the Democratic Town Committee, which Rizzitelli chairs.
One problem:
“I was on crutches the day I’m accused of doing this. I was scheduled for surgery the very next day,” Bomba said. “I had slipped at work with badly torn cartilage in my knee.”
Both Bomba and Rizzitelli are scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Derby Sept. 28 at 2 p.m., where a trial is scheduled.
Rizzitelli and the Democrats are asking for $1,000 in damages. Bomba said he is not hiring a lawyer and plans to defend both himself and the Republican Town Committee.
Bomba said he received a certified letter from Rizzitelli Friday offering to settle the case out of court — provided Bomba guarantee no political lawn signs would be stolen during this political season.
Bomba said he’s not signing anything.
“That would be me admitting I’m guilty. I did nothing wrong. I look forward to my day in court. This is just a frivolous lawsuit,” Bomba said.
Rizzitelli said the small claims matter is not news, especially in light of reports that a state labor board ruled Derby government violated a union contract regarding the operation of the city’s landfill.
Rizzitelli also said the press is letting Republican incumbent Mayor Anthony Staffieri “off the hook” for not debating his challenger, Democrat Dan Foley, Jr.
Regarding the lawsuit he filed against the Republicans, Rizzitelli said:
“We should resolve the dispute amicably and I’ve proposed a very reasonable settlement. I hope they are reasonable people about it.”
Rizzitelli declined to say why he thinks Bomba and the Republicans stole the signs.
“I’m not getting into all that. I’m not putting out my case in the paper.”
