Party chairs see investigation dogging Donovan campaign for months

CROMWELL–Though the candidate himself has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, top officials for both Republicans and Democrats in the state say the arrest of House Speaker Chris Donovan’s former finance director will weigh heavily on his campaign for Congress in the fifth congressional district for months to come.

Connecticut Republican Party Chairman Jerry Labriola Jr. and Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo largely avoided discussion of the Donovan’s campaign–or any of the state’s contentious races–as they each addressed the annual meeting of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities here Thursday.

DiNardo went first and promptly launched into a sort of stump speech for President Barack Obama. Labriola told the gathering of mayors, selectmen and other municipal officials from around the state that Republicans have “achieved unity” in all races except the fifth district and the U.S. Senate race, where there will be competitive primaries for both parties.

But speaking to a Courant reporter after the meeting, both said the arrest of the Donovan staffer Robert Braddock Jr. could hurt the candidate and the Democrats as a whole, even though Donovan himself hasn’t been named as a target of the federal probe into his campaign.

DiNardo

“When you look at the general election, I’m sure the Republicans will make an issue,” DiNardo said. “But is it fair to blame him for something he had no knowledge of?”

If there are more arrests in the investigation between now and the primary or even the general election, DiNardo said there is “no doubt” that it would affect the Democratic candidate, even if Donovan himself doesn’t win the party’s nomination in August.

“What happens with this type issue is that people tend to focus on that issue and any debates he has are always going to focus on that,” she said.  ‘Not only is this disturbing that it happened but it does have an effect on the race in many different ways.”

Labriola

Labriola said he doubts Braddock’s arrest will be the last of the federal probe.

“It would surprise me that the FBI would have an investigation of that level and scope just to take down a minnow,” he said.

But regardless of whether Donovan stays in the fifth district race or wins the August vote, Labriola said Republicans would try to tie the investigation to Democratic candidates.

“There are broader issues involved than just the race for the fifth Congressional District,” he said. “Clearly, the Democratic Party is beholden to the imperial government unions in Connecticut and that activity was on full display in the pay-to-play scandal.”