Check out this column from MariAn Gail Brown of the CT Post. The mom of the city legal consultant in the crosshairs of the Foster campaign’s accusation of Finch pay to play doesn’t know she’s chairman of the political action committee controlled by her son.
www.ctpost.com/news/article/MariAn-Gail-Brown-Bridgeport-legal-consultant-s-1729456.php
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VERY INTERESTING!!! This could be a campaign killer.
Lennie, can the authorities use this article to investigate? And if so, which authorities … FBI or State Election? How can Finch ever survive this? And if Mrs. Beccaro didn’t know about it, who has been cashing the checks made out to her? Isn’t that stealing in itself if it was someone else? I am so confused!
Take it a step further. As head of this PAC, did Mrs. Beccaro have to sign anything? Was she coerced to sign not knowing what she was signing … or did her son sign her name?
But will they actually investigate it?
Evolutionary,
The law is clear: “State campaign finance law expressly forbids the use of PAC money for personal use, restricting the money to building political operations and charitable giving. Lawful expenditures include office overhead, utilities operating expenses ‘and promoting the success or defeat of candidates for nomination or election to office in Connecticut or the success or defeat of referenda,’ according to an SEEC guide.
“‘No goods, services, funds and contributions received by any PAC may be made available for the personal use of any individual,’ the SEEC guide says. It prohibits the use of money for defraying normal living expenses, or those that have no “direct connection” to the PAC.
“Potential penalties include civil fines, but the SEEC can also recommend criminal investigations to the Chief State’s Attorney.”
Hizzoner and his wife were reimbursed for shopping trips to TJ Maxx, Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble and groceries at the Big Y. Finch and “Pecker” Wood can call the complaint whatever they want to, can call Tom Kelly a failed restaurant owner, but it all boils down to a violation of state campaign finance law. Buying clothes at TJ Maxx, groceries at a supermarket and the latest items on Oprah Winfrey’s book-of-the-month club do not fit the definitions of “building political operations and charitable giving.”
Gloria Beccaro is listed as the chairman of People for Excellence in Government, the political action committee in question. Her son, William Beccaro, an attorney contracted to do legal work for the city, is listed as treasurer. He controls the money. People for Excellence in Government pay the tab for Mrs. Beccaro’s cell phone and Internet service. However, in an interview with Connecticut Post columnist MariAn Gail Brown Mrs. Beccaro stated she doesn’t have a cell phone and does not know anything about the PAC she allegedly chairs. This amounts to a violation of state campaign finance laws.
Finch donated $46,000.00 in leftover campaign funds to People for Excellence in Government. Now the money is being paid out in the form of “reimbursements.” Tom Kelly calls this a “conversion of money into a personal benefit.” That’s another way of saying Finch, Wood and Beccaro are conspiring to launder money, which is a violation of federal law.
Ain’t politics great?
Wow, maybe Finch won’t run again? Can the DTC take away an endorsement after they have given it?
Finch will run, alright. He’ll be running down Broad Street to hire a criminal defense attorney.
“… Mom, Can You Do This For Me? …” Lennie, the motherfucker didn’t even inform her or ask her for permission. He stole his own mother’s identity. You have no idea how I feel about people who’d steal from their own mother. I had an older brother who constantly did that, until one day I fractured his leg with a car jack. My brother had a drug problem and I understood that, but my brother understood I was our mother’s keeper. You know Lennie, when I was looking at Finch’s senatorial campaign committee reports, I noticed his stepmother donated to his committee. I asked myself how could he accept those donations while reimbursing money to his wife or girlfriend (Sonya C. Finch) at the time.
“Mom, I need you to donate to my campaign.” ” I have no money honey.” “Don’t worry, just write me a check and I’ll give it back to you right now in cash.” “Is that legal?” “What are you talking about, mom?” Possible? Mr. Beccaro is lucky he isn’t my brother.
Joel, you are a candidate for office. You should refrain from using the word “motherfucker.” Thank you. Otherwise, I like your post. 🙂
I understand, BG. It is pretty clear Beccaro screwed around with his mother and her name. Hey, wait a minute, did you just used the word “motherfucker” in a sentence? A lady shouldn’t use that kind of language.
And Jack Nicholson always said his mother never understood the irony of her calling him a son of a bitch.
You know, Joel, I’d like to see Mary-Jane Foster elected Mayor of our city; wouldn’t you?
For some strange reason she put you on her ticket. I implore you to stop posting until you are inevitably defeated soundly. Your remarks are childlike and reflective of emotional challenge. Each time you post in this manner, you take away from MJF.
This is a vitally important race. We must all do what we are best at to ensure her victory. Right now, your greatest contribution to her campaign would be to become mute because your comments are moot anyway.
Yahooy, stop wasting your time trying to tell me what to do; what to say; how to act; when to write … Go to China, Cuba or Russia and try forcing your rules on their residents. Who do you think you are? Who made you the Sergeant at Arms of the MJF campaign or OIB? I have some petitions and nowhere do I see a position of Sergeant at Arms. You act and sound like a member of the Secret Police. For four years now you have been nothing but hateful, negative and rude towards me whether or not we agreed on an issue. Anyone new to OIB can look at the OIB Archives and read both of our postings. I don’t pretend to be a saint; smarter or better than anyone here; the OIB Sergeant at Arms; The OIB Dictator like you. You want relief for your paranoia? Go and double-up on your prescription and don’t bother to address me until you use your real name, you coward. You are using me to justify your support for Bill Finch. Talk about looosers!
I rest my case in full.
He’s starting to sound like a well-spoken Ernie Newton.
Now there’s an oxymoron.
Surely the FBI will have to make some inquiries into these allegations. I cannot imagine putting an 85-year-old woman through these ordeals. Shame on the entire organization that conceived of this hideous breach of conduct and, terribly, a mother and son relationship.
You can be sure little Billy Beccaro was not alone in devising such a nefarious scheme.
Good people of Bridgeport … these same people are working very hard to stay in power; a power that has caused you to live in dreadful conditions for the past 40 years. We can vote them out of office if we can get you to the polls to vote.
Poor Billy Beccaro. He was seduced by the smell of squid. I hope the box that is used to contain lost law licenses from Bridgeport lawyers is big enough. This one is going to be a beaut!!!
I wonder if this worthless piece of dung of a son forged his mother’s signature on the documents needed to be filed for forming this PAC.
Someone should create a Cliff Notes version of all these news stories, because for the public, it’s not easy for them to understand. Or maybe a flowchart.
This all changes everything. The Foster campaign can (and probably will) bring this up at every stop. The facts are on display, courtesy of public records laws.
“I had an older brother who constantly did that, until one day I fractured his leg with a car jack.”
This is from the same guy who in some delusional state chopped off his own finger on the steps of the capitol.
Grin,
If you have any influence with your candidate, please get her to put a muzzle on this guy. As a member of her ticket she does not need the stuff he is capable of spewing that will surely affect her campaign.
yahooy–don’t go third-party here. If your beef is with Joel Gonzalez, keep it there–you whine like a bitch.
All Finch supporters agree with you.
If I were on the City Council, I would be screaming for Finch to resign.
*** This will lead nowhere, state elections enforcement commission is all bark with no bite! *** Dig Deeper ***