Wolf Howls At Former Federal Agent Ed Adams’ Support Of Joe Ganim, Adams Fires Back

Ganim, Adams, Meyer
Ganim makes Public Integrity announcement with former FBI agent Ed Adams, center. At right is Ganim confidant and lawyer Chris Meyer.

Update, includes Adams statement. One of the intriguing sidebars to the Joe Ganim comeback effort is the support he’s receiving from one of the lead federal investigators who put him away, retired FBI agent Ed Adams, now a private investigator. Ganim has often used Adams as cover on the campaign trail in an effort to rehabilitate his name following his 2003 conviction on federal corruption charges. Even the agent who investigated me is supporting me, Ganim will often say. Adams was by Ganim’s side when he proposed an Office of Public Integrity to assuage concerns of his possible return as mayor. Adams’ support of Ganim’s campaign, both financial and strategic, has rankled some former and active federal agents, among them Michael Wolf who was head of the Connecticut office of the FBI during the government’s “Operation Hardball” investigation. In a CT Post commentary blistering Ganim, Wolf, now retired from the bureau, devalues Adams’ contribution to the investigation describing him in a way no one had before, “a line investigator who assisted in the investigation, along with a number of others.” Adams has described himself as case agent.

In the commentary Wolf describes Ganim as the “Poster Boy,” having the distinction of the longest prison sentence ever given a public official for corruption in the state, and in the top tier nationally.”

Fair enough. Former Waterbury Mayor Joe Santopietro also received a nine-year sentence.

But later Wolf segues to the role of Adams. Rather than just condemning Adams for backing Ganim, he undervalues Adams actions in the case, as a way to create institutional distance for the FBI.

From Wolf’s commentary:

Post Ganim, Bridgeport was freed from the chokehold of corruption with the opportunity to prosper under new administrations managed by those driven to serve the best interests of the people and the community. While no administration is without flaw, honesty and integrity are non-negotiable for good and effective government. A number of news articles have inaccurately portrayed former FBI Agent Edward Adams as the lead investigator in the Ganim case. There was also speculation that Adams may be in consideration, in some capacity, for a “public integrity” role in the Ganim administration, in an apparent effort to allay public concerns that Ganim would return to his corrupt ways should he be elected.

To correct the record, Adams was a line investigator who assisted in the investigation, along with a number of others. He was not the lead investigator and did not bear responsibility for making strategic case decisions, and as such, heading a “public integrity” initiative may be better served with someone else.

Adams’ biography on his company website includes the following:

During his career, Mr. Adams successfully managed the FBI’s Bridgeport public corruption investigation which resulted in a dozen convictions, including that of the Mayor of Bridgeport.

Perhaps describing Adams as “the lead investigator” is a stretch, but calling him a lead investigator is not. Adams sat through more than two months of testimony in the winter of 2003 as more than 50 witnesses (full disclosure: I was one of them) were called to the New Haven courtroom of U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton. He also was the first FBI agent to testify about the Ganim investigation. Adams spent several years of his professional life probing Ganim and others, including innumerable hours with witnesses. He made strategic case decisions. For certain, many dedicated federal investigators such as prosecutors, FBI and IRS agents spent long hours in connection with the case. Adams was not the only one.

The Ganim investigation began as the result of the inquisitive work of FBI agent Bob Marston who supervised the Bridgeport office nearly 20 years ago. Controversy surrounding a zone change at the former Dewhirst Dairy site to allow the building of a Stop & Shop store for a connected Ganim developer caught his eye. Many North End residents, including former City Councilman Tom White, vehemently opposed the shoe-horning of the store in the heart of the neighborhood off Madison Avenue. In another ironic twist to the Ganim comeback, the Connecticut Post journalist who chronicled the zoning controversy that caught Marston’s attention was Michael Giannotti who serves as the Ganim campaign’s communications director. Marston developed the seeds to the case. Adams became a key investigator in the process.

Adams’ support of Ganim is certainly befuddling to many who know him. Some federal prosecutors become criminal defense attorneys. Some retired FBI agents become private investigators. In doing so they represent “the other side,” receiving work from defense attorneys and that includes Adams working on the legal team of trash hauler James Galante.

In the commentary Wolf goes out of his way to cheapen Adams’ role in the Ganim case rather than take him on directly for supporting Ganim. Wolf’s full commentary here.

Ed Adams statement:

I submit this in response to Mr. Wolf’s characterization of my role in the Bridgeport Public Corruption investigation as a “line investigator.”

I was the Case Agent of the Joint FBI-IRS Bridgeport Public Corruption Investigation. Over the period of several years working with many Special Agents of the FBI, IRS-CID, DCIS and other Federal Agencies including the New Haven United States Attorney’s Office and numerous Support Personnel from these agencies, we brought the investigation to a successful conclusion. I spent many hours over this period conducting witness interviews, review of records, witness preparation and report preparation including:
• Submission of twenty Applications & Affidavits as Case Agent for Court Ordered Wiretap Authorization over a period of twenty months to United States District Judge Burns.
• Submission of seven Applications & Affidavits as Case Agent for Search Warrant Authorization to United States District Judge Burns.
• Drafted and submitted the Operation Plans for the Execution of Court Authorized Surveillance Equipment.
• At trial participated daily with the Assistant United States Attorneys and the IRS-CID Case Agent and I was the first witness called to testify as Case Agent for the Governments’ case.

Mr. Wolf is entitled to express his opinion as to the upcoming Mayoral election, just as I am, in my support for Joe Ganim; however, I would like to correct his characterization of my service to the FBI and, in particular, the Bridgeport investigation.

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30 comments

  1. Lennie, thanks for the link to the article on Adams’ public testimonial for notorious “former trash czar” James Galante–from that 2008 article:
    Galante is a “stand-up guy,” said Ed Adams, a former FBI agent who worked on Galante’s legal team.

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  2. This article is right on the money. I put a lot of people in jail and have had no desire to befriend any of them. To me it sounds like Adams was a go-for agent and nothing more. It looks like Adams is tired of PI work and now has a job if Ganim gets elected. Talk about selling your integrity.

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  3. Joe Ganim and his “associates” can wear fancy clothes but the custom tailored suits cannot hide the fact he is a crook and anyone supporting and/or endorsing him should have their morals questioned.

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  4. Torres received 8255 votes against Fabrizi. With your help he can approach 10,000 votes and stop this story in its tracks. If your vote is with Foster, it takes away from Ganim, good. But if you can vote Torres for a clean break, open books, lower taxes, honesty without collusion, your vote can make all the difference in this election and put Torres over the top. Do a gut check. Torres. People first, corruption gone.

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      1. Steve, if Foster is not propped up any time soon, the Democratic auto-vote would be heavy Ganim. Depending on voter turnout, let’s see the Dem vote split in two piles. Do the math, Torres received 8255 votes against Fabrizi. This is a race of similar sentiment. If both Ganim and Foster receive 8255 votes each, the turnout will have to be 24,765 votes to have a three-way tie. The past two mayoral elections in Bridgeport were turnouts of 13,211 in 2007 and 12,316 in 2011. Torres is much better positioned in this race than before. With the Democratic vote splitting he is in the winner’s circle this time. Torres for the win. For Bridgeport.

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  5. Mr. Wolf: Please allow me to remind you, as one US Citizen to another, this is “America.” When people get out of the gulag after serving their time here, they are not hounded by government agents and maintained as non-persons as they would be in some other countries at which we are at odds.
    We, in Bridgeport, know all about Joe Ganim. We, in Bridgeport, knowing Bridgeport’s real problems are not centered in Bridgeport, but rather in places that need to maintain Bridgeport as a dumping ground for non-genteel services and infrastructure and as a repository for “undesirable suburban residential material” needed as a distal workforce to serve places such as Stamford, Greenwich, and EASTON, want to put Joe Ganim’s leadership and management skills back to work for us. We know he will be closely monitored, much more closely than any of the other humans who might have their own “special agendas” as mayor, so we are not worried about a repetition of his fallen past. Indeed, we believe he has paid for his crimes and sins and should be accorded his right to the “pursuit of happiness,” which is among the things the FBI is charged in protecting for US citizens (Joe Ganim is a native US citizen). We believe Joe Ganim, with his skills, intelligence, and very, very deep motivation to redeem his legacy, will be an outstanding mayor and will champion Bridgeport’s causes better than any of the present mayoral candidates.
    So please, Mr. Wolf: from your retirement home in Easton, if you truly care about Bridgeport, use your contacts and skills to keep an eye on things for us here, and to bring some living-wage jobs and high-value tax base to our struggling city, and don’t besmirch your outstanding legacy as an FBI agent in punitive pursuits of persons from which you have already exacted justice.
    If you really care, use your contacts to be a watchdog and advocate for Bridgeport, and allow us to tap the needed leadership and management skills of Joe Ganim. If he does anything wrong again, which he won/t, you’ll know quickly and can put him back in the gulag quickly.
    Otherwise; enjoy your retirement. Use it productively and altruistically.

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    1. Jeff,
      If Joe Ganim or you wished for Watchdogs, you only needed to call me whistle or however you make your serious intentions known. I have been posting critical weaknesses in Bridgeport’s governance processes and structure for over five years. I may not always be correct, but I am infrequently challenged in my reports.
      For the past couple years we have branded that WATCHDOG concept here in Bridgeport and there are many people who like that concept, I am happy to say. Let’s see whether those in public service, elected or hired, will comment favorably on operating on stage with the eyes of the public upon them. It’s worth a few years of trial in contrast to the secrecy, the barriers, and lack of good communication with taxpayers and voters, isn’t it?

      The Office of Public Integrity can only genuinely be carried off by someone with unimpeached integrity who surrounds himself with folks of the same ilk. Is that what has been suggested to date? Time will tell.

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    2. Add this article to the Stallworth Emancipation Proclamation and NAACP and now the powerful endorsement from Chris Caruso, the tide has turned. Foster, row G.

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      1. Steve, the tide is the people who hear from the candidates in one way or another directly. With Ganim’s warchest of money, running 1 minute or 1 minute 30 second syrupy ads of love and endearment, he will definitely need a strong presence from Foster. I wish her all the votes she can muster, because Ganim has his begged, borrowed and absentee-balloted already to a fashion. I am not worried about it, though. Enough people are with Torres to withstand a Democratic vote split and prevail. In fact, besides having a large number of Democrats for Torres, this is exactly the lead-up to election day we need. Can’t you see that?

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    3. The Gulag? You are joking, right? I am not making light of losing your freedoms for an extended period of time, but THE GULAG. Your literary freedom is totally out of control.

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    4. Ed Adams, I know you’re convinced you can remake Joe Ganim into an honest public official, but why can’t you stop his outright lies in his mailers? Today’s mailer contains no fewer than five (5!) bald, naked lies. But then, anyone who lies under oath several times to a federal judge probably has a hard time changing his spots. Good luck in your rehabilitation challenge. You’re apparently going to need it.

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  6. In a strange turn of events, Caruso is serving at the whim of the Governor. His endorsement is the Governor’s also in a sense. Governor Malloy has been very careful to not say much. Is Caruso like a city council member doing the bidding of the boss? Job on the line? I respect Chris and thank him for bolstering Foster, because she has very little man on the street votes in Bridgeport. The neighborhoods don’t know her, she needs the newspaper voter for sure. Please do build her up, she cannot possibly get enough votes to topple Ganim, but she can take enough to make way for Torres. It is a clear path for Torres. We want and need every Foster vote, or Finch anti-Ganim vote possible. The rest will take from Ganim’s pile. To think she can beat the well-oiled political professionals on her own is wishful. Only the split vote, if not all the anti-Ganim vote, moderate turnout, even higher than the past two elections, will provide a solid Torres victory. We will see a typical 20,000-vote election and that is high because the last two were only 12,000 and 13,000. Finch wasn’t that interesting at the polls. Ganim will pick it up for all the reasons we know. Split the vote all you like, we like it too. Politics can be ridiculous. Torres is keeping his eye on the prize. Open, honest Government putting people before outsiders and others’ profits.

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      1. Steve,
        Oh dear. The same old lie you repeated in mantra-like fashion when Finch was still a contender. No matter how many times, it is not a novena. No matter how many times it is repeated it will not become a reality.

        Caruso was co-opted by Malloy as a favor to La Machine, given a state job to remove him from Bridgeport politics. His endorsement carries some weight because he’s very popular with the blue-rinsed matrons of the North End. Just don’t count on it turning the tide in Mary-Jane Foster’s favor. She was late getting off the bench and into the game, polled only 9% of the primary vote and couldn’t even carry her own voting district. If the voters of Black Rock, a politically active and aware neighborhood, rejected her, the rest of the city will most likely wonder why. She’s well known over here and is not viewed in the most favorable light.

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      2. Yes, I will look at voter turnout in various districts and get back to you. She is not going to do well in what you have called the “typical Bridgeport Voter” areas such as the East Side and etc. She has no value to them. I mean, this is politics, they do not “feel” her, and will not be looking for her on row G. She has had a weak public performance, not in what she has said, but in her resonance. Bridgeport is a fabric of many people and histories. If the sound of your voice does not sound like Bridgeport, your typical voter won’t hear it. There is a tune-out factor when she has spoken. Torres and Ganim speak the language of the city, and that is the race. Mary-Jane cost Finch his primary, I hope she costs Ganim the General election.

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  7. Mary-Jane Foster is rising and the voters are going to come out in huge numbers. Just the Republican support alone is huge! One week to go and I expect great things. Foster, Row G. I expect Foster to get most independent and Republican votes not to mention the Democrats who sat on their asses during the primary. Six days is a lifetime in a campaign, yet it goes by in a blink. There cannot be any missed opportunities. Ganim is looking for new fences to mend at Trumbull Gardens and residents are loving Chris Taylor and his bike and laptop promise. Then of course the Caruso-Gomes team and all their friends in the Wilbur Cross area cannot hurt Mary-Jane Foster. Time will tell! Busy, Busy, Busy!

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    1. Foster’s campaign is picking up? You must be on glue. Mary-Jane was late getting off the blocks; her tardy entry into the race cost her early supporters and resulted in a lousy 9% primary showing. Ms. Foster couldn’t even muster a majority in Black Rock, her home precinct–Finch won by a healthy margin.

      Alas, Finch lost the primary to The Crook and then self-destructed, fouling the paperwork for a third-party run. So he attempted to broker a back-room deal, first with the GOP candidate. When that failed he threw his support (including the electoral apparatus of La Machine) behind Mary-Jane.

      Now, flush with cash but trailing in popularity, she expects to win the general election? Not with the millstone of Bill Finch hanging around her neck. He’s the most unpopular mayor the city has had for a long time, a machine puppet. She compromised herself by accepting his support and that of John Stafstrom and the rest of the party hacks who boarded the campaign with Mr. Finch, a campaign that so far has stubbornly stayed in second gear.

      The Crook is losing traction every day. Nearly every morning brings a more damaging story in the Connecticut Post. While his political stock is falling (the editorial for the retired FBI agent didn’t help matters and Ed Adams’ defense of his federal law enforcement career didn’t refute SAG Wolf’s criticism), it appears The Crook will not be able to win the election by honest means. It also appears the corrupt party machine has caught the attention of federal authorities once again.

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    2. The residents of Trumbull Gardens like Chris T? Good. Next you’re going to say they want to be surrounded by the National Guard. Come on, get up, plenty to do this week.

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      1. The residents of Trumbull Gardens only like Chris Taylor because he promised to give them free stuff if elected. I guess that makes him okay in Ron Mackey’s book.

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    3. You are just full of hot gas. Do you actually believe the shit you post? First it was “Finch will win the primary by a landslide!” That didn’t happen and you freaked out. Then it was “Finch will win the general election by a landslide!” That was a possibility until he shot himself in the foot. (Must have powder burns on his ankles by now.) Then he threw his lot with Marijuana Foster. Now you’re saying SHE’S gonna win by a landslide. The unions that backed Finch for the primary have so far failed to line up behind her. The governor, allegedly a personal friend, has declined to endorse her. She got leftovers from Lowell Weicker and Chris Caruso. According to info leaking out of her campaign, Marijuana Foster is trailing Torres and The Crook by double digits. Tap out the pipe, the bowl is spent.

      You bet on the wrong horse, yet again. Stay away from OTB, Steve. You’ll end up shoeless.

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  8. Lennie, I have a different (first-hand) recollection of what caught the attention of FBI special agent Bob Marston. It was not coverage by the Connecticut Post. Mike Daly will confirm my view. The CT Post was very restrained in mentioning the controversy of the Dewhirst property. In other words, the CT Post did not cover it nor did they take a position in what became a nasty campaign by Ganim’s preferred developers to intimidate the North End community with a SLAPP suit (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation).
    The only media coverage was by Brad Durrell and the Bridgeport News.
    I never heard of Ed Adams until Ganim’s comeback campaign.
    Years ago I lamented the need to chronicle the Dewhirst/Stop & Shop battle. I would tell people I would contact you to write it. Well, you went away to camp and life moved on, ’til now.

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    1. Tom, the Post covered the contentious zoning hearings about the Dewhirst property. I had a very unfortunate first-hand view of the case as well with many conversations with Bob Marston. And why would anyone remember Ed Adams’ name?

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