Two doors down the block, another round of associates of Democratic Congressional candidate Chris Donovan were about to be hauled into New Haven federal court on corruption charges. That doesn’t mean Donovan needs to call off his campaign, insisted a leading state Democrat.
And all that money disappearing from Donovan’s campaign chest? Could just be a coincidence.
So said State Treasurer Denise Nappier in an interview as the noose tightened around the once-promising campaign of U.S. Congressional candidate Chris Donovan. (Click on the play arrow to watch.)
Nappier happened to be at New Haven City Hall at noon Thursday for an unrelated event, the announcement of a pilot “Bank on Connecticut” program to help poor and working-class people open savings or checking accounts rather than get gouged by payday lenders.
It just so happened that two doors down, at U.S. District Court, authorities were preparing to arraign another six people—including Donovan’s former campaign manager — in a pay-to-play scandal involving a roll-your-own tobacco bill that came before the state House of Representatives, where Donovan serves as speaker. The feds charge that opponents of the bill funneled money to Donovan’s congressional campaign in return for getting the state bill killed. Indictments released Thursday quote Donovan’s former campaign manager saying Donovan “put the word out” that the “bill is dead” after receiving the contributions. (Donovan has steadfastly denied doing anything wrong. He has not been indicted. As of Thursday.)
Even as the scandal has consumed Donovan’s campaign, and Donovan himself, Donovan has resisted calls to suspend his campaign. He faces two other Democrats in an Aug. 14 primary for the open Fifth U.S. District seat. Whoever wins that is expected to face tough Republican opposition, scandal or no scandal.
Nappier declined to add her voice to calls for Donovan to step down when asked about the scandal after the New Haven City Hall event.
Should Donovan drop his campaign? Nappier was asked. Response: “I believe that it’s his decision to stay in the race or to get out. And it’s the court’s business to determine that there is justice.”
She was then asked if she would drop the campaign if she were in Donovan’s shoes, with a former campaign manager among those arrested, a scandal just getting started, and an open House seat in serious contention. “It’s a hypothetical question that I can’t answer because I’m not in that position. It’s one thing for me to theorize what I would do,” Nappier said.
Nappier also said she can’t say whether she believes the scandal is hurting Donovan’s chances of winning the seat. She noted that Donovan continues to lead in polls for the primary. And the drastic decline in campaign contributions in Donovan’s most recent campaign finance report? “It is what it is.” Nappier reflected. “I can’t stand here and tell you it’s a direct result of” the scandal.