Who Knows What The State Elections Enforcement Commission Will Find If They Start Looking Under The Hood Of The Greenwich Republican Machine?
By Colleen Flaherty
Staff Writer
Article Launched: 10/29/2008 02:29:56 AM EDT
Article Launched: 10/29/2008 02:29:56 AM EDT
The State Elections Enforcement Commission has accepted a complaint from a local Democrat alleging a violation of state campaign finance laws by the Republican Town Committee.
Samarpana Tamm alleges in her complaint that the RTC violates four commission regulations in the use of its RTC headquarters at 407 E. Putnam Ave., formerly Minute Men Cleaners. The space made available to the RTC by landlord Frank Chimblo, she says, is an illegal in-kind donation to local candidates, as well as an undisclosed expenditure and an illegal organizational expenditure.
The use of space is also an improper allocation of pro-rata funds, she claims, estimating that even maximum campaign donations Chimblo could legally make to state Representative candidates Fred Camillo and Lile Gibbons could not cover the cost of the space.
According to commission regulations, business entities may not donate to political campaigns, barring a few exceptions.
Attached to Tamm's complaint was a brochure she said was from Chimblo Real Estate Enterprises LLC and showed a monthly rent of more than $24,000 per month, before utilities.
....RTC chairman John Raben said Tuesday, however, that he had been advised by legal counsel in Greenwich and in Hartford that the complaint was without merit. He declined to name those attorneys.....
....Calls to Chimblo for comment were not returned.
"I am very disappointed with the Democrats in town," continued Raben, who called the complaint an attempt to divert GOP and voter attention away from "real issues."
Town and local Democrats would be better off devoting their time and energy recruiting candidates for every race, he added, presumably referring to Republican incumbent state Reps. Livvy Floren and Lile Gibbons, who are running unopposed this term.
Town Democratic Committee chairman Dave Roberson said Tuesday that he wasn't surprised by Raben's comments, and that he awaiting the commission's finding.....
I Wonder Where Samarpana Tamn Got The Idea That Something With Landlord Frank Chimblo's Donation To The Greenwich Republican Town Committee Might Not Be Kosher
However, Big Time Greenwich Democratic Blogger Sarah Litman Failed To See Anything Wrong With The Arrangement At Our Greenwich.
by Sarah Darer Littman
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