Ernie Newton and Andre Baker couldn’t be two more diametrically different personalities as they square off in Tuesday’s Democratic primary for the State House: Newton the lightning rod self-proclaimed Moses of his people who had previously represented the district in the state legislature; and Baker, the restrained neighborhood funeral home director who represented a portion of the district on the City Council before winning a citywide seat on the Board of Education last year. Sometimes politically aligned, they are engaged in a primary battle for the ages.
Once friends when they served in the legislature together, Newton has had a political falling-out with Mayor Bill Finch. Baker historically voted against the mayor on the City Council but now finds himself in the odd position, for this moment in time, as a candidate Finch supporters are rooting for, whether privately or directly through the help of city employee Finch loyalist Deborah Sims. Baker’s key vote on the school board approving construction of a new school to replace Harding High on environmentally challenged Boston Avenue property owned by General Electric has created an alliance. Finch forces would rather have Baker in the legislature than Newton.
Speaker of the House Brendan Sharkey, declaring public trust is paramount in the primary, endorsed Baker over party-endorsed Newton. Newton seems to be relishing the challenge of the most powerful person in the state legislature supporting his opponent.
“Sharkey has no votes here,” says Newton.
Newton is fighting for a political comeback that removed him from office following his conviction on federal corruption charges about 10 years ago. He is also awaiting a trial date accused of violating state campaign finance laws from his run for State Senate in 2012. Newton denies the charges.
Connecticut’s 124th State House District covers the East End, kisses a piece of the Steel Point redevelopment area, runs north to Harding High School in the Mill Hill area, ending a few blocks from Beardsley Park.
Most political operatives see this as a competitive battle with a heavy emphasis on absentee-ballot voting. Newton has worked the East End area along Stratford Avenue for more than 30 years. His base support votes at Dunbar School. He figures to do well there. If Baker is to pull out a win he must run up numbers in the higher end of the district that votes at Harding and JFK School.
More than 400 absentee ballots are circulating in the district with each side saying they will hold their own in that area. Both sides also say they’ve identified enough voters for a win. Primaries are strange animals. They are all about identifying your friends and dragging them out.
Newton would love to regain a seat in the legislature to cement his political comeback. Will the undertaker put Moses to sleep?
Ernie Newton Seeking To Dismiss Criminal Charges
By CHRISTOPHER KEATING, ckeating@courant.com The Hartford Courant
6:30 p.m. EDT, July 10, 2014
HARTFORD – An attorney for former state Senator Ernie Newton said Thursday that he will ask a judge to dismiss seven criminal charges due to a recently discovered audit that he says exonerates Newton of campaign finance fraud.
The defense team never saw the audit by state election officials until recent weeks, but it says that Newton had reached the minimum $15,000 fundraising threshold to qualify for more than $80,000 in public financing in a state Senate primary that he lost in August 2012. The fundraising is at the heart of the criminal charges because the prosecution charges that Newton never reached the threshold and should have never received the public money–leading to a felony count of first-degree larceny for “falsely obtaining thousands of dollars in public funds.”
Attorney Darnell D. Crosland, who represents Newton, read some details of the audit during a hearing in Superior Court, telling Judge Joan Alexander that 357 campaign contributions had been certified as “qualified” under state rules and that the final tally was $15,020–just barely above the threshold.
“Mr. Newton has reached the threshold for qualified funds, which has brought us here,” Crosland told the judge. “We’ve been before this court for about two years. … We’re approaching a Brady issue or a discovery issue because this should have been turned over a long time ago.”
The judge responded that she was not ruling that prosecutors were guilty of a “Brady” violation–meaning that they had not turned over evidence that would prove the innocence of a defendant.
In a rare appearance in court, deputy chief state’s attorney Leonard Boyle–the second-highest ranking state prosecutor–said that the “draft summary” of the audit that was dated June 3, 2013 was a mistake.
“I have reason to believe the 2013 date was in error,” Boyle told the judge, adding that the document should have been dated one year later.
The prosecution charges that Newton came up $500 short of the fundraising threshold and then prompted five campaign workers to sign cards that stated that they had contributed $100 each. The state says that Newton then used the false documentation to gain the public financing.
This must have been written by the Grim Reaper!
This may sound naive (and I may get attacked for writing this), but I find it very disappointing we cannot find anyone better to run for this seat than Mr. Newton. I do not know the man, but a felony conviction for corruption should be an automatic bar for serving in public office.
With respect to Mr. Baker, I have had limited interactions with him. I found him to be an intelligent and thoughtful person. I wish him the best and I hope the people of the 124th select him in the primary and elect him to office in November.
Michael Smith, that’s what is so great about America, you can express your views and Mr. Newton can let the voters of his district vote for him or not vote for him.
Mr. Smith, this post was not naive. Mr. Newton served his time and has every right to run for office. That alone is questionable, but it is the law. Newton constituents will have to weigh his friendship against his results. Mr. Baker seems to have real-world business experience as well as political. He has proven to be a team player as well as a freethinker. I think the district has an opportunity to put a leader in charge who will support the vision of the Mayor, who is obviously concerned about the well-being of every corner of this city.
Michael Smith, your comment is not naive. Yes, Newton served his time but he still has pending charges for a similar repeat performance. Mr. Baker on the other hand is a bright, responsible businessman who would be an asset to the Bridgeport delegation. I wish him well and hope the voters elect him, he’s far better suited for the office than Mr. Newton.
They both would look great in this car!
newyork.craigslist.org/fct/cto/4607388787.html
I saw a really nice lawn sign for Andre Baker on the corner near Beardsley Park. I decided to take a ride around the Dunbar School neighborhood. During my 20-minute drive, I saw one Andre Baker sign in a front yard. The only others I saw were in front of his funeral home and public corners and stapled on telephone polls. I saw quite a few Ernie Newton signs, almost every single one was placed in the front yard of homes. I don’t know about the Harding or JFK areas, but Ernie Newton clearly has a lot of people willing to publicly display their support of him in the Dunbar School area.
Question of personalities.
Based on that, I’d gamble on Newton.
Baker has the more recent record of public service. Newton asked for forgiveness for his transgressions. It is fair to say he largely received it despite losing his race for state senate two years ago.
Ernie is a relentless campaigner. Andre is a reluctant campaigner.
Andre is on the right side of fighting for an issue–public education–the public should care more about. Instead, the community engages, disengages.
We’re well past the stage of expecting Ernie to grow up. But he knows how to express real feelings for a community. If he were more effective in using that–well, if, if, if.
In a primary with a lousy turnout: I’ll put a small-change bet on the rogue.
You’re on, Callahan. Pick your poison. Name your bet. I’ll even give you one vote so in the case of a tie, you win. We won’t have to wait for a coin flip.
i like Andre Baker but i feel he is too controlled by Finch and associates, he went back and forth trying to decide on running and only after Deborah Sims’ input along with Mayor Finch did he decide to run. He does not have the fire and conviction to fight for the citizens. Ernie has his faults but he has been a strong advocate for his voters and paid for his mistakes. Like him or not, the voters in his district will decide who they want.
You can do all the surveys you want but the real problem at least here in Bridgeport is the mainstreaming of all the kids. When you put mentally challenged and discipline problems together with kids trying to learn you are going to have problems. I recognize under the current laws everyone is entitled to an education but there is nothing that says all kids should be mainstreamed. Ask any teacher what takes up the majority of their time and they will tell you it’s dealing with the mentally challenged and the discipline problems. Ask any teacher after dealing with these problem kids how much time is spent actually teaching.
“In a rare appearance in court, deputy chief state’s attorney Leonard Boyle–the second-highest ranking state prosecutor–said that the “draft summary” of the audit that was dated June 3, 2013 was a mistake.”
The State’s Attorney may be right about the date. However, the date of the beginning of the audit and the date of the findings of the audit are very important. I recall not long after the elections in 2012, Ernie was magically picked to be audited. SEEC officials said the decision to audit Ernie and not others was random. The fact of the matter is Andres Ayala has many more questions to answer regarding his committee’s fundraising activities than Ernie Newton. The State Elections Enforcement Commission voted over a month ago to investigate Andres Ayala 2012 as well as many other people involved. Under current investigation are: Ayala’s 2010 Committee for State Rep. including Treasurer John Gomes; Juntos PAC, a PAC formed many years ago by Americo Santiago and his friends; Santiago 2010 and Santiago 2012 Committees. Named on the complaints are treasurers, contributors, recipients of payments from committees etc. As an extra measure to stop the thievery taking place I filed a complaint (IRS 13909) against Pivot Ministries with the IRS for receiving payments ($2,800) from the Andres Ayala 2012 Committee in violation of non-profit organization federal rules.
After Newton received the public money, the EEC’s next move was to target Newton’s Campaign.
CT Post 7/19/12
Commission Chairman Stephen Cashman–a Republican appointee–cast the highly irregular “no” vote and issued the following statement:
“I do not believe that the legislature would have contemplated such a situation to put us in this position of approving taxpayer money for someone with Mr. Newton’s criminal record that involves a direct violation of the public trust, and for that reason it is my message to the legislature that this ought to be corrected. I am going to vote against this application.”
Was Ernie set up by Cashman and the EEC? I think so!
Really, Joel? You actually filed a complaint on Pivot Ministries? Pivot is an outstanding agency, it’s admirable all the lives they’ve turned around and the help they’ve given to people who have had nowhere else to go when they hit rock bottom. Shame on you, how low can you go? All in the name of your warped political point of view and personal vendetta against Senator Ayala. Hope you feel all warm and fuzzy about yourself.
An outstanding agency that took two payments for wages, one during the 2012 primary and another for the 2012 elections from the Ayala Senate committee. It’s plain and simple a federal violation. Shame on me for filing a complaint against a nonprofit organization who has plenty of money and properties for them to go around getting directly involved in the election process. If they want to get involved in elections, then give up the nonprofit status. On one hand you are here holding judgement on Ernie Newton while on the other you expect the public to leave your corrupt friends alone and just give them a free pass. The difference between Ernie Newton and you and your friends is you and your friends just haven’t gotten caught. Hope you all feel all warm and fuzzy about yourselves.
I challenge Senator Andres Ayala and his Treasurer Pilar Gonzalez (absolutely no relation to me) to turn over all documents in relation to all money raised and expended ($186,000 approximately) during his 2012 primary and election. These were public funds received from the Citizens Election Program. Godiva2011, you “really” think he would do that? If my complaint is just a personal vendetta and his Committee did everything according to the rules, then he could just release all the returned checks. Keep in mind, his Treasurer Pilar Gonzalez works for Bank of America–Andres Ayala’s 2012 Committee Banking Institution. The federal authorities shouldn’t just look into Pivot Ministries, they should look into Ayala 2012 for bank fraud and see if the true recipients of thousands of dollars paid income tax on their income. The only thing I didn’t find in Ayala’s 2012 committees records was their Employee Identification Number EIN.
That is interesting and informative, Joel. Bank of America’s relationship with the City got Pivot House one of their foreclosures on Pembroke Street, after all the men there hit the streets at the behest of Lydia Martinez to get out the vote for Ayala. What is BOA doing about all their stagnant stinking foreclosures hanging around all other parts of the neighborhoods, and by the way, what is this administration doing about all these vacant houses?
Godiva2011, with all due respect, pay attention to what Joel is saying. Do not be quick at tearing down his actions. When and how are we going to engage the SEEC office to look into these voter fraud activities?
invincible–I find it difficult to give Joel any credibility. He states I criticized Newton when all I stated is he has pending charges against him similar to previous charges, and that’s the truth. With all due respect to you, I find I rather strange Joel has a pattern of going after people who have defeated him when he ran against them for office. No doubt some of the voting tactics in Bridgeport should be looked into, but every candidate should be looked at, not just the select few who Joel chooses to single out.
Ernie did his time, then runs again and more allegations are thrown at him. Would you buy a used car from Ernie?
So does one bring a shovel or bail money to the Campaign headquarters on Tuesday night?
You can bring POPCORN!
I know this isn’t the right forum but I need to finally say something because I grew up in Bridgeport and still have a soft heart for it. Bpt is the laughing stock of CT. The most politically corrupt city in this country. The final straw is when you allow a piece of shit like Newton to continue in the political world. Damn it, what the hell is wrong with everyone? I remember when he was a damned sub teacher in the ’70s and all he cared about was how good he dressed and he was looked at as the kool sub. Didn’t care one damn about anyone but himself … like now. Damn it, get rid of all these damned sorry politicians and get new blood who actually care about the city.
Hey Coach T, the minute one tries to get rid of them, a Godiva2011 comes along to accuse the accuser of having a vendetta. Coach T, you just give me the order and I’ll sack the shit out of Godiva2011 and the likes of her.
Don’t drag Coach T into your nonsense, Joel. Where do you figure he’d give you an order to sack anyone? You are the one who should get “sacked,” whatever that means. You have plenty of vendettas against anyone who ever “sacked” you when you ran for office. I looked at your vote counts from the past when you did run and it was laughable. Therefore anyone who you can’t defeat at the polls warrants investigation? You are a complete moron, not to mention a sore loser.
Just remember, Moses NEVER entered the Promised Land.
He will on Tuesday!
For the sake of Bridgeport, good God, I hope not. He violated his oath of office, went to jail, and now wants to get back into “the game.”
IT AIN’T A GAME.
The order has been placed.