Twardy Report: Donovan Had No Knowledge Of Illegal Contributions; Could Not Interview Braddock, Nassi, Jordan, Soucy, Waterfall

HARTFORD – An internal report says Congressional candidate Christopher Donovan had no knowledge of illegal contributions to his campaign, but political opponents criticized the report Thursday as inconclusive and incomplete because the key players in the scandal refused to be interviewed.

Former U.S. Attorney Stanley Twardy released the long-awaited report, saying that the findings were made after conducting 13 interviews and reviewing text messages on Donovan’s personal iPhone and iPad.

Speaking to reporters Thursday night in Meriden, Donovan denied that he knew of any wrongdoing in his campaign, but refused to talk about a meeting in Waterbury with representatives of the “roll-your-own” industry. (Wes Duplantier/Hartford Courant).

Twardy was hired by the Donovan campaign to investigate fundraising after Robert Braddock Jr., the campaign finance director, was arrested on May 30 by the FBI. Braddock was allegedly involved in trying to conceal the source of campaign contributions to Donovan.

But Twardy lacks subpoena power, and defense attorneys prevented any interviews with Braddock, former campaign manager Joshua Nassi, finance assistant Sara Waterfall, and longtime House Democratic attorney Laura Jordan. Braddock, a 33-year-old former Marine who was a political unknown in Connecticut until his arrest, has been at the center of the ongoing investigation that has thrown the Fifth District Congressional race into turmoil. Donovan is battling against former state Rep. Elizabeth Esty of Cheshire and Dan Roberti of Kent in the August 14 primary in the sprawling district that stretches from Simsbury to Danbury to Salisbury.

“Based upon our review of documents, electronically stored materials, and interviews, we found nothing to indicate that Donovan had any knowledge of either the alleged conduit contributions or any quid pro quo arrangements,” the report concluded. “However, as noted above, our review was limited to interviewing those involved with the campaign committee and Donovan’s legislative aides who agreed to speak with us and the documents and electronically stored materials in the custody or control of the campaign committee and Donovan’s legislative office.”

The summary report said: “We interviewed Donovan and 12 current and former campaign committee employees and legislative aides. We also reviewed financial records and documents, including electronic documents … ‘’

The report said Twardy’s staff reviewed the following materials: “approximately 140,000 pages of email messages from Donovan and Campaign Committee staff; approximately 25,000 pages of emails from Donovan’s legislative office; approximately 41,000 files from computers used by Braddock, former Campaign Director Joshua Nassi, former Deputy Finance Director Sara Waterfall, and Donovan’s legislative staff, and various removable computer media, such as flash drives; and Donovan’s personal iPhone and iPad, including his text messages.”

Donovan has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

“I am very happy that Attorney Twardy’s investigation is complete, and the results and his statements speak for themselves,” said Donovan. “I am looking forward to continuing my conversation with the voters of the 5th district about the issues that matter to them.”

But the press conference was dismissed by one Republican candidate as a “dog-and-pony show” that was an “insult” because it offered little new information.

Braddock was fired from the campaign, along with Nassi, the 34-year-old campaign manager, and Waterfall, a 30-year-old Danbury Democrat.

Twardy’s report said lawyers for those three former campaign staff members would not allow Twardy’s staff to interview them “in light of the pending criminal investigation.” A lawyer for Laura Jordan, a Donovan legislative aide, also would not allow her to be interviewed. Nor did Twardy have access to the personal email accounts and personal computers used by campaign staff to do campaign work.

Donovan is the convention-endorsed candidate for the 5th Congressional District seat now held by U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy. Murphy is running for the U.S. Senate in the August 14 primary against former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz. The winner will face the winner of the Republican primary between Linda McMahon of Greenwich and Christopher Shays of Bridgeport.

Republican Congressional candidate Mark Greenberg of Litchfield hammered away at the report as incomplete and inconclusive.

“By Mr. Twardy’s own admission, his report is incomplete and it leaves many questions unanswered,” Greenberg said. “Much of the important relevant information was not forthcoming, and the investigation was hampered by the inability of Mr. Twardy to interview or receive documents from the principles in this scandal. People who commit crimes are not often reckless enough to leave a paper or email trail – the absence of such documentation is not surprising and accordingly, the “independent” investigation is certainly not conclusive. Unfortunately, the cloud of this campaign finance scandal will continue to hang over Donovan’s campaign until the federal investigation is concluded.”

Greenberg continued, “Once again, I call on Chris Donovan to suspend his campaign for Congress. Nothing in the internal investigation diminishes the fact that the Speaker either knew or should have known of the illegal activity in his campaign. Whether it is a gross violation of the public trust or gross mismanagement, Chris Donovan is not an individual who should represent Connecticut in the United States Congress.”

Justin Bernier, a  Plainville Republican who is running in the primary, said, ”Connecticut has a serious political corruption problem that only seems to be getting worse.  Chris Donovan today put a paid lawyer in front of the media to proclaim him innocent before the justice system has spoken.  This dog-and-pony show is just the latest insult to those of us who are disgusted with the political corruption in this state.”

Esty, who has been largely silent about Donovan since Braddock’s arrest, initially declined to comment Thursday at an event in Torrington, saying she had not yet read Twardy’s report.

“The FBI affidavit that initiated this review contained serious allegations that have not been addressed,” Esty said later in a statement after reading the report. “A narrow look at the Speaker’s fundraising activity, a review to be paid for by the Speaker’s campaign committee and that failed to speak with anyone implicated in the alleged scheme, leaves far too many questions unanswered. As the Donovan campaign report itself admits in its conclusion, their review and investigation was understandably limited in scope and nature, since the authorities are conducting an ongoing investigation. I am confident the FBI will carry out its investigation to the fullest extent possible.”

State Sen. Andrew Roraback, a Goshen Republican who represents 15 towns in Litchfield County, said, “Whether subsequent legal proceedings in connection with the arrest of Donovan’s campaign finance director reveal that Donovan did or did not know of the alleged illegal activity, neither outcome will reflect well on Chris Donovan. If it is shown he knew of the activity, it makes him unfit as a candidate for Congress. If it is proven he had no knowledge of the alleged illegal activity, it calls into question the manner in which he is conducting his campaign and his abilities to give a kind of focused attention, which will be required to find solutions for the many complex challenges facing the 5th District and our nation.”

In an interview Thursday afternoon with The Hartford Courant’s Wes Duplantier, rival Democratic candidate Dan Roberti again called on Donovan to drop out of the Fifth District race, regardless of whether the Speaker knew of any illegal activity within his campaign.

“This race is too important right now to have this type of an investigation going on and clouding everything,” Roberti said. “Democrats need to win this seat. I think that would be a tremendously respectful way to go about things. Clearly, he disagrees and wants to keep going here. For the party it’s not the best situation and for the policies we stand for, it’s not a good situation.”

Speaking in his hometown of Meriden Thursday evening, Donovan tried to fend off question’s about the report’s thoroughness and credibility.

“He [Twardy] felt comfortable with who he talked to to say that I did nothing wrong and now I’m ready to move on with my campaign,” Donovan said. “He had full rein to ask questions.”

Donovan declined to give any estimate of how much Twardy will be paid for his work. The House Speaker also refused to talk about meeting with members of the roll-your-own cigarette industry in Waterbury or the involvement of Ray Soucy in his congressional campaign.

“It was just a meeting we had with some folks and that’s all I’m going to say about that right now,” Donovan said.