What Candidates Will Qualify For Public Dough?

On Friday several candidates met the application deadline in an effort to qualify for public moolah for the February 24 special elections for State Senate and State House. The State Elections Enforcement Commission will meet on Wednesday to make final determination about the candidates to receive an infusion of cash based on qualifying thresholds for the Citizens Election Program of publicly funded campaigns. What happens Wednesday could change the course of the elections.

Candidates for State Senate: Democrat Richard Dejesus, Republican Quentin Dreher, Working Families Party Ed Gomes, and petitioning candidates Charles Hare and Ken Moales.

Candidates for State Senate must raise $11,250 in donations from $5 to $100 from 225 residents of municipalities included in whole or part of the district to qualify for a public grant. Connecticut’s 23rd Senate District covers two-thirds of Bridgeport and a portion of western Stratford.

As the endorsed candidate, if DeJesus meets the reporting requirements, his campaign will receive roughly $71,000. A report for Dreher is not currently available on line. Minor party challengers such as Gomes and Moales have the added burden of submitting more than 1000 certified signatures from within the district to receive public funds. The  program offers a three-tiered signature process from one-third of the grant to the entire grant. That process is currently under review by the Town Clerk’s Office. A report for Hare is not online.

DeJesus report here.

Gomes report here.

Moales report here.

Connecticut’s 129th State House District covers Black Rock, the West Side and portions of the North End and West End. Candidates: Democrat Steve Stafstrom, Republican Enrique Torres, petitioning candidates Bob Keeley, Bob Halstead and Hector Diaz. For State House candidates must raise $3750 from 113 residents within Bridgeport. Stafstrom and Torres will receive grants of roughly $21,000 respectively. Reports for the petitioning candidates are not loaded online.

Stafstrom report here.

Torres report here.

Overview of CEP here.

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12 comments

  1. Moales was given a chance to help the children of Bridgeport and did he? NO!!! He created roadblocks and controversy and became Mayor Finch’s piss boy. I would not vote for this fraud even if he were the only candidate. He is a phony.

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  2. I am not attempting to secure the extra State assistance dollars, for those who want to support my campaign, your voice on the phone to a friend or your presence in support at the polls will much more appreciated than the money the State gives, I can’t imagine short of paying for people’s votes what any candidate would need that many dollars for in what really is a month-long campaign. I am raising money and awareness the “old-fashioned way,” those wishing to contribute can give up to a max of $250. There will be a fundraiser/get-together at “the Crafty Monk” (formerly the “field”) this Thursday the 12th from 6-9pm, please come even if you are not in a position to contribute financially, I am looking for volunteers also and even those who don’t know me and would like to talk stop in, ALL ARE WELCOME. “SPEAKER EMERITUS JIM AMANN” AND A HOST OF BRIDGEPORT LEGENDS HAVE ALREADY CONFIRMED!

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  3. DeJesus Recap:
    City Employees:
    Milta Feliciano $100 (DTC and City Council?)
    Tom McCarthy $100 (DTC and City Council President)
    David Dunn $50
    Sue Paoletto $50 (Richard Paoletto’s wife)
    Richard Paoletto $50 (DTC and City Council)
    Chris Rosario $20 (DTC and State Rep.)
    Johanna Dorgan $10 (DTC)
    Judith Marella $50
    Rose Wong $35
    Larry Osborne $5 (DTC)

    DTC Political Operatives:
    Leticia Colon $100
    Michael Marella $50 (DTC and City Council)
    Lydia Martinez $25 (DTC and City Council)
    Jack Banta $10 (DTC and City Council)
    Denese Taylor-Moye $5 (DTC and City Council)
    Aidee Nieves $100 (DTC and Achievement First Charter School emp.)

    OTHER DTC Supporters/operatives:
    David Bosco $100 (Finch loyalist and union rep)
    Virginia Bosco $100 (Wife)
    Anthony Paoletto $100 (Richard Paoletto’s son)
    Liz Torres $100 (Housing Authority and Great Oaks Charter School Board of Directors ?)
    Jorge Cabrera $50 (Just laid off Ex$ell Bpt.)

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  4. Moales Recap:
    Charter School Shysters:
    Meghan Lowney $100 (President and Member of BOD Ex$ell Bpt. and Conspirator and Chief of Illegal BBOE Takeover)
    Jonathan Sackler $100 (Founder of ConnCAN, Co-Founder of Achievement First and Donated $50,000 to “VOTE YES” Campaign)
    Mary Carson $100 (Sackler’s wife)
    Alex Johnston (Former CEO ConnCAN)
    Jeremiah Grace (Director of Northeast Charter Schools which was Co-Founded by the Phony “Dr.” Sharpe)
    Lee Bollert $100 (Former Finch Appointee who filed the original BPSS Organization that became Ex$ell Bpt.)
    William McCullough $100 (BOD of Dr. Perry’s new Charter School)
    Paul Vallas $100 (The Michael Jordan of the “Deform” Movement.)
    Sharon Vallas $100 (The wife of the defunct Paul Vallas)
    Kadisha Coates $100 (BBOE Member and Families for Ex$ellent Shysters “Parent Leader”)
    Martin Coates $100 (Kadisha Coates’ husband)
    Kenneth Moales $100 (Identified his cccupation as “Life Coach and Financial Consultant.” I am not kidding.)
    Liz Torres $100 (Housing Authority and Great Oaks Charter School BOD member)
    Joshua Thompson $20 (Finch’s former Education point person.)
    Liam Sweeney $15 (ConnCAN lobbyist)
    Aidee Nieves $5 (DTC and Achievement First employee)

    City Employees/DTC:
    Adam Wood $100 (Chief of Staff)
    Kerry Wood $100 (Adam Wood’s wife)
    John Bohannon $100 (DTC Member and works for City Attorney)
    Cathleen Simpson $100 (Bohannan’s wife and former Chair of Charter Revision Commission)
    Joe Tiago $100
    Danny Roach $5 (DTC and Police Commissioner)
    Bonnie Roach $5 (Danny Roach’s wife)
    Ruben Felipe $5 (Finch Deputy CAO)

    Democratic Operatives:
    Peter Carrol $100 (Charlie Carrol’s brother)
    David Bosco $100 (Finch loyalist and union rep.)
    Robert Trefry $100 (Former Chair of the illegal BBOE and member of the State Board of Ed.)
    Ricardo Griffith $100 (Former President of the East End NRZ, Moales loyalist and Charter School supporter)
    Hernan Illingworth $10 (Finch’s BBOE member)
    Lillian Wade $5 (East End NRZ)

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  5. There were approximately 267 donations from Bridgeport and Stratford residents. The vast majority of them were for $10 or less. Many of the donors were either Webster Yard Arena or ABCD Employees. There were also quite a few “students” and “unemployed” donors. The President of Webster Bank is married to Dacia Toll who is a founder of Achievement First Charter Schools.

    There were 44 out-of-state donors including attorneys from Miami Florida, which makes me believe some of these donors are charter school supporters/investors.

    There were 118 donors within CT who were not from either Stratford or Bridgeport, which included donations from Greenwich, Westport, Hartford, New Haven, etc. Some of these are clearly charter school supporters, staff and investors.

    After reviewing both reports, I believe Finch has shifted his support to Moales and is hedging his bet with DeJesus.

    I am interested in other opinions.

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  6. Look at the latest Families for Ex$ellent Shysters advertisement on the left of OIB’s home page. Every child featured is black except for three. The President of the BOD for FES owns a home on Central Park West in NYC. The New York Tax Assessor lists the assessed value at $22,600,000.

    If anyone believes these charter school pro-advocacy organizations and these charter school chains care one iota about minority children, they are uninformed. It is no wonder CT Charter Schools are the most segregated schools in CT.

    The only thing these millionaires, billionaires and Wall Street executives and investors care about is $$$$$$$$$!

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  7. Excellent research, Maria.
    But I believe this has been Finch’s plan all along. He knows he has a damaged image in the African American community so he is betting it all on the Latino vote.
    He is intentionally splitting the black vote by ensuring Moales qualifies and all of this to try to defeat Gomes.
    And he figures he will at least maintain a small segment of blacks; those loyal to Moales.
    Hate politics all around.

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  8. Sorry Bob, I just don’t agree. I believe DeJesus was Finch’s guy originally, however the charter school leadership in CT desperately wants Moales in the Senate.

    These Charter School supporters/investors are incredibly wealthy and would be able to raise tons of money for Finch in his re-election campaign this year.

    If the CT Charter School leadership in CT wants Moales, Finch will do what he has to do to deliver Moales because he needs their financial support in the upcoming election. Quid pro quo.

    I also just heard Reverend Al Sharpton is coming to Bridgeport on Wednesday on behalf of Kenneth Moales. Once I receive the flier, I will forward it to Lennie to post.

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  9. As you’ll recall, in July 2014, we read in the CT Post and here on OIB how:
    Speaker of the House Brendan Sharkey appeared at a fundraiser Wednesday night for State House candidate Andre Baker who’s challenging Democratic-endorsed Ernie Newton in an August 12 primary, saying in a statement “Public trust is the first quality voters should consider when choosing who will represent them, and Andre Baker has earned that distinction with his work on behalf of Bridgeport residents as a member of the both Board of Education and City Council.”
    Source: onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/shark-attack-against-newton-speaker-sharkey-to-stump-for-andre-baker-newton-they-got-a-price-to-pay/

    It’s all about the public trust.

    Or it was all about the public trust, back in July.

    Now, for the special election for the 23rd district senate seat:
    Where is Sharkey’s counterpart in the Connecticut State Senate–the widely respected and highly capable leader, Senate President Martin J. Looney–to appear in Bridgeport on behalf of Ed Gomes for State Senate?

    As we know, Ed is challenging two people for the state senate seat of the 23rd district–Ricky DeJesus and Junior Moales–who do not inspire public trust, to say the least.

    Surely Senator Looney and Governor Malloy agree with House Speaker Sharkey’s emphasis on “public trust.” Surely, these elected leaders of our state will not remain silent on such an important campaign, when it’s all about the public trust. Right?

    Attention repeat Moales’ contributors: When you look at your record–take for example, Mr. Sackler’s record of–betting your money in Bridgeport, you’ve got a terrific losing streak. Sackler and his minions’ contributions to Moales for state senate bode poorly for Moales at the polls. Someone who Sackler listens to should apprise him of this. Again, Governor Malloy comes to mind. But who’s leading whom?

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  10. Here is the flier for the Al Sharpton event being held at Moales’ church this week. Look carefully at the very bottom. Moales’ social media sites for his senate campaign are being promoted on the flier.

    There is no “paid for” language on the flier, therefore I believe this may be a violation of the SEEC campaign regulations.
    www .facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1558135567775612&set=a.1394189197503584.1073741828.100007375511774&type=1&theater

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  11. One would think since Mayor Finch is such a fan of Al Sharpton, he will be in attendance. The same Mayor Finch who spent over $500,000 to deny Bridgeport residents their right to vote will be the biggest cheerleader for this “Voter Registration” event. Finch = PURE HYPOCRISY.

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  12. Does any Bridgeporter believe for one second Dan Malloy (or anybody else in leadership positions in the GA) is going to do anything at all to make Bridgeport a more prosperous, politically viable entity? Look at his history with Bridgeport from the time he was elected mayor of Stamford until the present.

    Malloy and FCBC (then SACIA) president Chris Bruhl led the fight to kill the chance for a casino in Bridgeport. Bruhl later admitted at a SACIA event it was necessary for the economic good of the Stamford region to make sure Bridgeport “would never have [that scale] of development” because then “Stamford and the region will lose their ‘affordable’ labor force.” I am quoting from a July, 2002 Connecticut Post article covering the SACIA meeting.

    If anyone doubts Stamford/the Gold Coast (and our northern suburbs) likes the way things are in Bridgeport and will take any action to keep them this way, just take a look at what the Malloy administration has done for Bridgeport and what it is presently doing in regard to our special-election follies.

    Malloy couldn’t be more delighted with our political morass and the political sycophants/opportunists who delight in taking pictures with him as this administration crows about petty/counterproductive development projects and ironic/paradoxical political initiatives of other varieties.

    Again, I have to ask (among many other questions in this vein), why didn’t Malloy try to steer Bridgewater to Steel Point when Stamford rejected them for location in that city?

    And about the Bridgeport corruption issue: Stamford was notoriously corrupt all during their “economic miracle” ascent during the ’70s and ’80s. (And what about Shelton?)

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