CT Election Commission Cites Trumbull Dems

The State Election Enforcement Commission has fined the Trumbull Democratic Town Committee $300 for "failing to report campaign expenditures in a timely manner."

The fine was reduced from $500 and was linked to past violations, according to the consent order.

“This is the second time that the TDTC has failed to report campaign expenditures accurately to the SEEC and has been fined,” stated Jack Testani, Chairman of the Trumbull Republican Town Committee.  “It appears that Nancy DiNardo, Chairwoman of the TDTC and the State Democratic Party, is eager to file complaints against the Republican Party, however, she is challenged with keeping her own house in order."

The decision, released earlier this month, is the result of a complaint from Testani that DiNardo allegedly failed to pay rent for Democratic Headquarters in Trumbull Center after the November 2011 municipal election.

DiNardo has said she paid the rent, adding that the decision does not address her specifically.

According to the decision:

"It was determined that the offce space was paid for by the TDTC in the amount of $2,000, and reported as an expenditure by the committee on its January 10,2012 Itemized Campaign Finance Disclosure Statement (SEEC Form 20). The Commission finds therefore that the evidence does not support the allegation that the TDTC received prohibited business entity contributions in the form of use of offce space for its headquarers, or that Ms. DiNardo solicited or received a prohibited business entity contribution on behalf of the committee in violation of § 9-613. The Commission therefore dismisses this allegation."

Also, "the respondent claims that she did not report the expenditure that is subject of this complaint because she first received a bill on November 12, 2011, and did not otherwise participate in the negotiation or arrangement for the contract to rent offce space for use as TDTC headquarters."

Testani also cited the consent order:

“The Commission notes that Respondent has had four prior cases with the Commission, two of which pertained to violations of General Statutes § 9-608. Significantly, Respondent has had four prior cases with the Commission, two of which pertained to violations of General Statutes § 9-608. Specifically, Respondent was fined $500.00 for violations of § 9-608 by failing to itemize receipts for a fundraiser in Complaint of William Holden, Trumbull, File No. 2007-369; and in Complaint of Cynthia Penkoff Trumbull, File No. 2009-057 respondent violated § 9-608 by failing to account for individual contributions, agreeing at in each of the aforementioned cases to henceforth strictly comply with that statute.

DiNardo said the past issues were clerical. She added that in some communities, the DTCs and the RTCs have agreed not to file complaints against each other.

Earlier this year, DiNardo filed a complaint that a republican running for state representative for Trumbull was giving out coupons to his business while he was campaigning. The candidate,  David Rutigliano, denied the allegation and won the election. He replaces T.R. Rowe in the 123rd District.

The SEEC has not ruled on the complaint.

The entire consent order is available at http://seec.ct.gov/e2casebase/data/fd/FD_2011_143.pdf.