Subpoena: Why I Testified In The Bradley Election-Fraud Trial

Commanded by a federal subpoena Tuesday morning in New Haven I testified in the election- fraud trial of former State Senator Dennis Bradley charged with wire fraud connected to his winning 2018 run for legislative office.

The government accuses Bradley of misrepresenting donations to obtain roughly $180,000 in state public campaign grants and leveraging personal funds for a campaign launch at Dolphin’s Cove in the East End under the guise of a law firm thank you party when it was clearly a campaign event captured by a 28-minute video played to the jury opening day of the trial.

Frankly, I’d have rather watched highlights from March Madness because what the government wanted me to establish on the stand I don’t think is a big deal, but they have other ways of looking at things as they select the puzzle pieces. Overall it was a painless 30 minutes or so with cross examination from Bradley’s Attorney Darnell Crosland who has been involved in several high-profile city cases the past several years.

The key piece of evidence the government cited in my testimony was validation of a February 2018 article I wrote advancing Bradley’s March 15, 2018 announcement. He had provided me the information that was clearly a campaign announcement and nothing to do with the law firm.

See below:

City politics requires a sense of humor. School board member Dennis Bradley has set March 15, the Ides of March, to announce his formal candidacy for State Senate. Hmmm, will Julius Caesar, Brutus and Cassius show? Please, someone hide the daggers.

On March 15, 44 BC, Brutus and dozens of conspirators, so the story goes, plunged daggers into Caesar during a meeting of the Senate. And you think Bridgeport politics requires a sturdy heart? Reminds us of the legendary line from OIB friend Philip L. Smith:

“Some towns play political softball, other towns play hardball … in Bridgeport they play hand grenades.”

Bradley’s announcement is scheduled to take place March 15, 6 p.m. at Dolphin’s Cove Restaurant, 421 Seaview Avenue in the East End.

As Bradley notes, “the day marked by history as Caesar’s pride and destruction will mark Bridgeport’s humbleness and rebirth. For God will take the stone that was discarded and use it as His cornerstone … Bringing the classics back to Bridgeport politics. It’s about time we raise the bar.”

As a lawyer, Bradley knows something about raising the bar. Two years ago, as the endorsed Democrat, he came up short in a primary against incumbent Ed Gomes who’s not seeking reelection to his State Senate seat representing the 23rd District that covers about two thirds of Bridgeport and a portion of western Stratford.

This time around Gomes is supporting his former legislative aide Aaron Turner who hopes to follow in his boss’s footsteps.

Out of the box on cross examination the combative, nattily-dressed Crosland tried to frame me as a liar my entire life and brought up my past indiscretions 25 years ago as proof of that which is always standard operating procedure on cross. The government had already established my history on direct. Better to be upfront about it before the jury to minimize potential damage on cross.

I wish I had counted how many times Crosland called me a liar.

My under-oath rejoinder: I have never lied to a government agent, never lied under oath and I’m not starting now.

Crosland was all over the place, seemed ill-prepared, did not have a grasp for facts and just made up stuff which was unfortunate because I have no ax to grind with Bradley. In fact, in 2019 when I saw where this stuff was heading I urged him to hire a lawyer, something I slipped in on cross examination, noting cheekily I did not recommend Crosland.

Crosland falsely conflated a testy text exchange I had with Bradley in January 2021 as a future threat to Bradley’s liberty. Not at all the situation.

In January 2021 it was clear Bradley was in the crosshairs. I had no clue then, never entered my mind that I’d become, via subpoena, a witness more than five years later. In fact Bradley was not charged until May 2021.

You never know how this trial will be seen by the jury, but it appears Crosland’s strategy is to somehow slime every government-called witness as a liar to create reasonable doubt. Are all the witnesses lying?

Then there was this roll-of-the-eyes gem by Crosland asserting that Bradley’s trouble all began because he was a threat to Bridgeport’s Democratic establishment, the savior poised to rescue the city.

I did not ask the prosecutorial team what they thought of that one as I was dismissed from the stand by Judge Victor Bolden but I dare say it was snicker material.