The Giuliano campaign raised a total of $34,980 for his successful reelection campaign. He spent all but $5,452, which he contributed to the "Forest City Future" political action committee. About 60% of Giuliano's campaign contributions ($20,775) were donated at an event hosted by Ralph Wilson on April 24th of last year. Linda and Allison Wilson gave $1710 in food, beverages, and other "in kind" contributions for this event.
Here is a brief description of the top donors:
- AFSCME is a union representing Municipal employees.
- Joe Capasso Enterprises is a Middletown-based construction firm.
- Connecticut Laborers Political League purpose is "To provide financial support to candidates ... that will have a positive impact for our members and their families and organized labor generally."
- Devcon enterprises is a "real estate development and management" company.
- Centerplan is the developer behind the Rite Aid on Main Street.
- MBI and AMI are each major construction companies.
- Ralph Wilson is an attorney who represents developers and others before city commissions, particularly with respect to land use.
- Tom Armstrong, with Reid & Riege, specializes in hearings before the CL&P Siting Council.
- Bascom & Benjamin are surveyors who have worked on many large projects in Middletown, including Price-Chopper, The Connection, and Home Depot.
- DeRita & Sons is a large construction company based in Middletown.
- Lila Healy is the mother of Chris Healy, the chair of the State Republican Committee.
- Centerpoint is the developer of an office park on Middle Street.
- William Howard has a Middletown Law practice, he also serves as Corporation Counsel for the City of Middletown.
- Murtha Cullina provides Bond counsel to municipalities.
On the Candidate's filing statement, the campaign is asked whether the contribution is from a business which has a contract with the city.
The campaign checked the "NO" box for every contributor.
Listed below are all the donors who gave more than $200. I have compiled a fuller list, which includes all donors who gave $100 or more, along with the listed occupation for each donor, available here.
| Name | City | Company | Amount |
| AFSCME Council | 1500 | ||
| Joe Capasso | S. Glastonbury | Joe Capasso Enterprises | 1000 |
| Connecticut Laborers Political League | 1000 | ||
| Dyana Fonda | Westerly, RI | Real Estate | 1000 |
| Donna Galuzzo | Durham | Home Care and Mgmt Strategies | 1000 |
| Joe Klimas | Middletown | Middletown Toyota | 1000 |
| Scott LaBonte | West Hartford | Devcon Enterprises | 1000 |
| Robert Landino | Chester | Centerplan Co. | 1000 |
| Gennaro Martorelli | Meriden | MBI Construction, LLC | 1000 |
| Sal Monarca | Middletown | Monarca Building Contractors | 1000 |
| Ralph Wilson | Middletown | Attorney | 1000 |
| Joseph Vinci, Sr. | Middletown | Peter Mortensen-Vinci Oil Co. | 750 |
| Tom Armstrong | Avon | Reid & Riege | 500 |
| Pat Benjamin | Chester | Bascom & Benjamin, LLC | 500 |
| Susan DeRita | Middletown | DeRita & Sons Construction | 500 |
| Lila Healy | none given | none given | 500 |
| Lennie Leibenhart | Haddam | Centerpoint CT | 500 |
| Linda McMahon | Stamford | Senate Candidate | 500 |
| Vinnie Scileppi | Haddam | Self-employed, Illiano's | 500 |
| William Howard | Middletown | Howard & McMillan | 430 |
| Joe Fasi | West Hartford | Murtha Cullina, LLP | 400 |
| Sebastian Scalora | Middletown | City of Middletown | 300 |
| Michael Talamona | Marlborough | City of Middletown | 300 |
| William Coons | Middletown | Self-employed | 250 |
| William Corvo | Middletown | Self-employed | 250 |
| Mike DePiro | Middletown | GDS | 250 |
| Joan Harvey | Middletown | Middletown Public Schools | 250 |
| Ashwatha Narayana | Wallingford | United Utilities Corporation | 250 |
| Bangalor Neelakantiah | Wallingford | United International Corp | 250 |
| Tom Reynolds | Haddam | Retired | 250 |
| Kavitha Subramanian | none given | none given | 250 |
| Richard Bergan | Middletown | Bergan Architectural Woodwork | 230 |
| Sebastian Giuliano | Middletown | City of Middletown | 210 |
| Mark Balaban | Colchester | Self-Balaban Law Firm | 200 |
| Ron Borrelli | Middletown | Self-employed | 200 |
| Sam Caliguri | Waterbury | Day | 200 |
| Vittoria Cannamela | Middletown | CVH | 200 |
| John Clark | Middletown | CNX Radio Inc | 200 |
| Robert Curzan | Middletown | Self-employed | 200 |
| Robert Daniels | Middletown | Antecom | 200 |
| Ron Dunn | Middletown | Dunn Insurance | 200 |
| Barbara Fazzino | Middletown | 200 | |
| Michael Gaudino | Middletown | Connecticut Water Company | 200 |
| Greg Harris | Middletown | Dzialo, Picket & Allen, PC | 200 |
| Fred Hassan | Guilford | Ritch, Greenburg, & Hassan | 200 |
| Chistopher Healy | Wethersfield | CT Republican Party | 200 |
| Joan Inglis | Middletown | 200 | |
| Matthew McGrath | Wallingford | Matthew McGrath Attorney at Law | 200 |
| Rebekah Phillips | Avon | Red Zone Design | 200 |
| Geen Thazhampauth | Middletown | City of Middletown | 200 |
| Ruth Timbro | Middletown | 200 | |
| Maria Turner | Middletown | Michael J. Turner Enterprises | 200 |
| Robert Vinci | Middletown | Peter H. Mortensen Vinci Co. | 200 |
| Joseph Vinci, Jr. | Middletown | Peter H. Mortensen Vinci Co. | 200 |
| Bruce Wilson | Middletown | Retired | 200 |
So What's your point?! Why post Seb's donors without posting the opposing candidates' and incumbants' donors? Unless you're intent is to somehow smear Seb's name as Mayor for the next election cycle. I dare you to post donors of each Democrat in office - then let's talk smack.
ReplyDeleteHow can posting public information be considered a smear? The reason it is filed and on public record is to be available to the public.
ReplyDeletePosting the donations to the mayor's Democratic opponent is less interesting because the challenger lost and has no power to make decisions in town.
We have considered posting donors to Common Council members, but both the number and level of donations is much smaller, with many of the donations coming from fellow council members.
We posted this info because it was interesting and noteworthy.
BTW, if you think it's a smear, what is it you see in this list that's incriminating?
ReplyDeleteYour inference is Seb did something wrong by his list of donors. There's nothing illegal about Seb's donors donating to his campaign - otherwise, go ahead and file a complaint to the proper authorities.
ReplyDeleteMy point in asking the question "What's your point?" was for you to provide us with an answer to your inference...clearly there is no point - therefore, why publish Seb's donors over opponents donors, that is, if it is as you say public information.
Otherwise post opponents donors so those who read your clearly biased blog can see for themselves.
This list is a statement of fact. Plain and simple.
ReplyDeleteThere is no suggestion of wrongdoing.
If you want to imply that there's a suggestion of wrongdoing, maybe you know something we don't.
We think it's a good thing for the public to know who has financed the campaigns of city decision makers.
As the post suggests, a later post will cover the donations made to campaigns of Democratic, non-mayoral candidates.
Bias, clearly, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Just yesterday someone accused the Eye of being biased against Democrats.
Perhaps you have a visual perceptual disability and are unable to interepret what you read - plain and simple - your inference and intent are to smear our Mayor.
ReplyDeleteMerely pointing out to you and what minimalistic number of readers you may have that your inference and intent have no merit - otherwise file a complaint.
I voted for and continue to support our Mayor. I saw no inference of wrong doing and felt it was interesting reading.
ReplyDeleteTo me, this is true community reporting that is sadly missing in today's news media. I'm also looking foward to reading the upcoming reports, regardless of party.
We all SHOULD care who donates to elected officials, and the information should see the light of day.
Thanks!
BTW - I appreciate your posting other elected official's list of donors now - even though it is public information. Having them posted for all to see electronically is a good thing. Perhaps they can all be posted together so that one official over another might not cause one to see bias. Oh, and selecting some over others also infers wrongdoing - ya might take that into consideration.
ReplyDeleteThe election was when?
ReplyDeleteThis is being posted, why?
I like your Pelosi-esque brush off of Anonymous 12:08's question. So now YOU know what is boring for us and what YOU think would hold our feeble interests. Mmmm, Mmmm, Mmmm...
LMAO!! How dare you print public information! Good job Ed. You have both sides pissed at you. Keep up the good work.Political contributions are a matter of public record. Information such as this used to be printed in the daily papers. Folks like Anonymous are constantly whine about nonexistent bias with those they disagree with. They play the victim very well.
ReplyDeleteinteresting read. looking forward to the democratic contributors list. i don't read the tone as being incriminating. i'm sure the angry minority will see anything as incriminating if it doesn't cater to their taste.
ReplyDeleteand as far as what's the point of this - what's the point of anything?
Probably one of the things that has Anon. 12:08's knickers in a twist is that the mayor's major donors include the people behind the Rite Aid on Main Street -- particularly Centerplan and Atty. Ralph Wilson -- the same people on whose behalf the mayor vigorously addressed ("intimidated" is a word some folks used at the time) a Planning and Zoning meeting in Oct 2007 that was having misgivings about placing a "drive-thru" in the downtown.
ReplyDeleteIt hurts to be reminded of our ethically challenged moments.
If memory serves, the mayor spoke in favor of the project in a reasoned, moderate tone during the public comment -- as is his right and responsibility as both mayor and a member of the public. But after several people stood up to question and oppose the drive-thru, he stood up a second time, either at the very end of the public comment or after it was over (my memory doesn't extend back that far), and testily promised a lawsuit if the project were to not win approval from the P&Z commission. Not the kind of behavior a mayor should be engaged in, surely. This was back when he was running, unopposed, for a second term.
Of course, none of this was covered in the main stream press. But it was covered on Ed McKeon's blog back before the days of the Eye.
See:
http://caterwauled.blogspot.com/2007/10/sebby-gets-his-dander-up.html
&, for commentary:
http://caterwauled.blogspot.com/2007/10/does-sebby-owe-middletown-residents.html
It is always instructive to be reminded how the political process works in Middletown. I look forward to information about the supporters of our Democratic politicians as well. Such information allows residents to look back and put 2 and 2 together.
Thanks Ed!
Yeah, I don't get it. What's the point of this article? That people who contribute to the economic viability of the city also contribute to political candidates?
ReplyDeleteWay to publish information available to the public who might want to read it on their own anyway. The blog needs fresh info, not old news.
That must have been some party!Just $1,710 generated $12,500... maybe there is some sort of "implication".
ReplyDeleteMy thanks to Ed for printing this public information. You are correct that this information is available for all the local campaign committees in the Town Clerk's office. The financial information concerning all active political parties is there also. Ed printed what he chose to extract from those public documents.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone feels that there is something missing, go to the Town Clerk's office, get the information, and post it yourself.
Just look at the Mayors list.Nothing against the Mayor but these out of town developers and engineers are buying his support in Town Hall. May be legal but its not right.
ReplyDeleteso lets see all the donors for dan drew, and BOE members, council etc....
ReplyDeleteamerica runs on political donations- fact of life
Again it is now January not November- Smear?
None of the donors have gained anything really as far as favoritism- actually maybe this list makes the Mayor look good!