Mayor Bill Finch ally Mark Trojanowski, a member of the Democratic Town Committee, has filed a complaint with the Connecticut Elections Enforcement Commission against Joe Ganim’s campaign claiming impropriety among some of his donors. Do ya get the feeling a few more of these complaints will be filed from a variety of camps before the September 16 primary? CT Post reporter Brian Lockhart has more about Troj’s complaint.
A political ally of Mayor Bill Finch’s, citing opponent Joseph Ganim’s conviction for public corruption, wants state elections officials to sniff around Ganim’s Democratic primary war chest for funny business.
Ganim, the ex-Bridgeport mayor who after months of teasing in May launched a campaign challenging Finch for his old job, managed to raise $200,000 by July.
Finch, who is fighting for a third term, has spent more than two years raising around $500,000.
Full story.
I heard a number of non-political people were planning the same thing at the Galaxy Diner two weeks ago. I do not think anyone believes Ganim is that amazing to raise $200,000. When you have an ethical candidate in Mary-Jane Foster raising $45,000, of course there is something non-kosher going on. You have Ganim, Testa, the police union chief all hangin’ at Testo’s. If ever the picture of corruption wasn’t getting clearer. Thank goodness we have Bridgeport Kid and Joel Gonzalez to remind us what a great candidate Joe Ganim is.
Mark Trojanowski, thank you for addressing a very serious concern.
Side bar: the truth, the ground breaking today for Aaron’s Way, a new inclusive million dollar playground at Beardsley Park integrating special-needs children with the general population is heart warming. A real plus for visitors to Beardsley Park teaching acceptance of special-needs children. A real plus for Bridgeport. The next generation growing up in Bridgeport will enjoy beautiful parks in every neighborhood, playgrounds and waterparks, living up to our name of the Park City.
MJF’s finance report stated she had raised $70K as of 6.30.15. Read it again. It’s posted for all to see. Ganim had raised $223k. Those are the correct numbers.
A “serious concern?” You really need to see a psychiatrist. Xanax would do you a world of good.
Joe Ganim did seven years in prison. Do you really think he would risk his freedom for a few dollars? He has much riding on this, his reputation for one thing. He has been making quite an effort to rehabilitate it. Even his staunchest armchair critics can see that. But not you, Steven. All you can see is Bill Finch and his shovels in the ground.
Bridgeport Kid,
First, I like Joe Ganim.
Second, this is politics.
Third, I have been hearing questions about donations for weeks.
Forth, Joe is not the only convicted felon I know.
Fifth, I have seen the dark side of politics in Bridgeport.
Seventh, I do not have a personal vendetta against Ganim.
And finally, I can assure you I am not working my ass off for Bill Finch because I want his people to keep their jobs! That I can assure you!
I believe Bill Finch is the best candidate for Mayor.
I already voted for Joe twice–he had 10 years.
I worked hard for Mary-Jane Foster.
I supported Finch in 2008. I supported Finch when he won the primary in 2011. And I have been a supporter ever since. Get over it!
There is no I in team and I am a team player. Not into the drama. I am confident Bill Finch will win re-election.
Steve/Lennie,
Is the only donor list the one that is available for copy at the town clerk’s office?
Or do these have to be filed on the SEEC eCris site?
Campaign finance reports on a municipal level are filed with the Town Clerk’s Office. There’s no other statutory obligation.
Does the Trojan Horse live in a Condominium?
Are the reports on file with the Secretary of State and viewable on-line?
In the spirit of full disclosure and transparency, Mary-Jane Foster voluntarily posted the names of all her donors on her Facebook or campaign website.
If this is important to you, call Finch and Ganim HQs and demand the same of them. They both talk about transparency but obviously Mary-Jane Foster is the only candidate who understands it and is capable of living by it.
Call today.
I have been examining Finch’s latest filing and have noted some very interesting contributors. More to come.
Can you tell me how to view the candidates’ filings? Is it on-line? I’d like to see them just for curiosity’s sake.
So the basis for this claim is individuals associated with a specific profession could not possibly legally donate $500 to $1,000 dollars. So I guess a book should be judged by its cover.
My parents came to this country with absolutely nothing in 1961. They had six children by June 1969. My father was a factory worker for over 25 years, and my mom was mostly a stay-at-home mom. When my father passed away in 2009 he had three/four outstanding bills. A telephone, water, electric, and tax bill. After raising six children and supporting a family of eight, his estate was valued at 1/2 a million dollars.
You would have never guessed it looking at him. He lived a very modest life and was fiercely frugal. He never owned a credit card and I never saw him write a check. He would drive around and pay all his bills in cash or get a cashier’s check. As his health deteriorated, he would have me running all around town, which drove me crazy.
Mr. Trojanowski, shame on you for doing the bidding and dirty work of Mayor Finch/Adam Wood.
Maria, thank you for sharing your family story. Your father must have been a very hard working and dedicated man. Unlike Joe Ganim, who has a history of shameful, selfish betrayal of the public trust. Unlike your family, Ganim is known for paying the ignorant and poor of the city for votes, while his bag man Paul Pinto would drive them to the polls.
I might also add I know Mark Trojanowski, he is a very intelligent and well-educated man. I do not think he was asked. He is as curious as everyone else.
Bill Finch engages in corrupt practices. Using the power of his office to pressure City Council members (threatening termination to municipal employees on the Council, rewarding them with raises or promotions for endorsing him at the DTC convention, etc.) is an abuse of power. Bill Finch even assaulted a City Council member because he didn’t get his way. Anyone else would’ve been arrested.
I voted for Mark Trojanowski when he ran to fill Chris Caruso’s vacancy. I voted for him because I went to a debate where I found him to be intelligent and articulate.
The fact he is intelligent and articulate is what makes this absurd complaint so disappointing. You would expect a member of the machine who is a complete idiot to capitulate to a request/pressure from Finch/Wood. In other words, if it were submitted by the likes of Ruben Felipe, Lydia Martinez, Aidee Nieves, Wanda Geter, etc., it would make sense.
Maria Pereira took a perfectly nice tribute and made it a preamble to a critique of Mark Trojanowski, who never posts here, so I’m taking this time to nominate Mark as OIB’s honorary blogger of the day.
I’m sure the Feds are watching Joe and the campaign very closely. They are probably amused by the tail-chasing going on in the other camps as those camps grasp at straws trying to reverse the Ganim momentum–now that they realize the people of Bridgeport aren’t being swayed by the negative, holier-than-thou voices that would eliminate Ganim’s name from the mayoral contest.
While the other camps chase their tails, Joe Ganim will keep making inroads toward September and November victories.
It is laughable anyone would think Ganim’s campaign finances are on the up and up. The FBI and the Department Of Justice are watching this closely. Jeff Kohut is right. The other campaigns are running around looking for skyhooks and left-handed smoke shifters. Joe Ganim has no other choice but to be honest and forthright in his campaign because there are too many people watching and waiting to pounce if he commits the slightest error in judgment.
The Finch campaign has made a few gaffes, withholding public records from the news media being only the biggest so far. The Connecticut Post is owned by Hearst Media, not Rupert Murdocks’ News Corporation. Bridgeport’s daily newspaper confirms information from several sources before it is printed. It was their front-page story that shamed the Finch administration into releasing police reports daily.
Another gaffe was arriving late to a public-safety forum at Burroughs Community Center in Black Rock only to extoll the virtues of Steal Point and all the wonderful playgrounds the mayor is building. As a woman in attendance angrily noted “We’re here for Black Rock.”
How about FINCH’S PAC MAN slush fund?
This is a nonstarter. Ganim went to prison for financial misdeeds. It is highly doubtful he will make the same error in judgement.
By the way Steve, in case you haven’t been reading the fucking posts, I am NOT a Ganim supporter, I am anti-Finch and for the people of the city of Bridgeport.
The Bridgeport Kid, there is nothing wrong with being a Ganim supporter. I know quite a few.
It’s a known fact: Mayor Finch is a supporter of all the people of Bridgeport.
I am pro-Finch and for the entire city of Bridgeport.