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In a unique turn of events, the Branford Democratic Party is gearing up for a primary, not for first selectman, a race that might have occurred this year, but for a fight over the office of town clerk.
At its convention last week the Democratic Town Committee (DTC) endorsed a slate of candidates leading with Second Selectman Andy Campbell to run for first selectman. He faces Third Selectman Jamie Cosgrove on the Republican side. Initially Chris Sullivan, the Democratic moderator of the Representative Town Meeting (RTM,) wanted a floor fight and possibly a primary against Campbell, but he later withdrew his quest for the 1st selectman’s position. Click here to read the story.
Now the DTC faces its only contested race and one that may lead to a primary. Last week the DTC caucus overwhelmingly endorsed Pam Knapp, a businesswoman, for the town clerk’s position. Marianne Kelly, the eight-year-incumbent, did not get the nod. She may have received about a half-dozen voice votes. Click here to read the story.
The reason had nothing to do with Kelly’s abilities as a town clerk or her dedication to the party. It had to do with her involvement as a participant in the gifting-tables pyramid scheme controversy and the consequences of her testimony in federal court. That testimony has now led to a federal investigation of her role in the tables and her relationship with the family of former town counsel Ed Marcus.
After she failed to win endorsement, Kelly said she would seek to primary Knapp. To do so she first has to collect 300 signatures on petitions to get her name on a primary ballot. The signatures also have to be authenticated, a job she would normally do but presumably would be given to someone else. Primaries in the state are slated for Sept 10. Only registered Democrats may vote in a primary.
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Knapp (pictured) was philosophical about this turn of events. Kelly, she said, “as well as any Branford Democrat, is entitled to petition for a primary. That is the democratic process all American registered voters enjoy.” She also said she was honored by “the trust, respect and overwhelming support that I received during the Branford Democratic nominating caucus.” She added she is a hard worker who had “more than 30 years of experience managing a staff of ten as a business office manager” and was well-qualified for the position.
Whoever wins the Democratic primary in September will face Lisa Arpin, an unaffiliated voter who was chosen by the Republican Party to run for the town clerk’s position. Arpin is the parish administrator at St. Mary’s Church. “I hope to go from church lady to town lady, “she said last week, adding that she is looking forward “to serving the town on a nonpartisan level. I bring a lot of energy and administrative experience with me for this job.”
The town may spend about $10,000 to staff and prepare places for the primary at each of the 7 election districts, among other costs. The DTC and Knapp campaign will have to find funds on their end for costs associated with a mini- election. How Kelly will raise needed primary funds without the backing of the DTC organization remains to be seen. She will either have to dip into her savings or find backers.
During her testimony at the gifting tables trial last February Kelly had an apparent lapse of memory when it came to admitting she had sent e‑mails to Jill Marcus, the wife of attorney Ed Marcus, in connection with joining the gifting tables.
Called by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Jongbloed as a government witness at the trial, Kelly was questioned repeatedly about an email message she sent to Jill Marcus, an email she claimed she never sent, did not write, did not construct. She denied its existence even though the email was introduced into evidence at the trial and appeared on court monitors for the jury to see and evaluate. The email established her strong friendship with Jill Marcus, who sits on the police commission, and suggested that Jill Marcus join a gifting table. (Jill Marcus did not join the table.)
The e‑mail to Jill Marcus was dated Nov. 19, 2009. In it Kelly told Jill Marcus she “sent women from our sisterhood to Ed and Shelley [Marcus] to make sure we are legal due to the Blumenthal investigation of pyramids.” Attorney Shelley Marcus, now a judge, worked for her father’s law firm. She did not join a table.
Kelly was referring to former Attorney General Richard Blumenthal’s inquiry into gifting tables as pyramid schemes.
“Ed now understands that we are legal. I want to ask you to join us and check it out. Shelley wants to get in, too. I think you should, as least check us out again. Talk to Ed and let me know,” she wrote. At the trial Kelly denied under oath that this was her e‑mail. Ed Marcus later changed his mind about the tables being legal. Click here to read the story.
After her testimony, Jongbloed sought Kelly’s records from Town Hall from Jan. 1, 2009, to Jan 1, 2011, a two-year period covering the time Kelly participated in the gifting tables operation. She told the Eagle in an interview that she hired a criminal attorney based in Bridgeport after learning that the U.S. Attorney’s Office issued the subpoena for her records. She said he urged her to continue her quest to secure a fifth term for town clerk. She added last week that he knows she intends to enter a primary race.
Kelly says that during that time she put in $5,000 and only stayed long enough to get that amount back. From her point of view she says she broke even but any money earned from the tables is taxable. She claims she earned nothing more.
In a previous interview she said “my lawyer led me to believe there is nothing for me to be concerned about, so I am not sure why the rumors persist. However, I do want to keep my job, and I will go forward in some manner when I figure it out to do just that.”
Tom Carson, the public information officer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, told the Eagle in June that there is “an ongoing investigation into gifting tables on the shoreline and elsewhere in state.” He would not comment specifically on the Kelly case, he said.
Kelly was the only elected official to testify about her involvement in the gifting tables.Kelly described “the sisterhood” at the gifting tables as a wonderful experience. The gifting tables trial ended on Feb 20; the jury convicted the two defendants, Donna Bello and Jill Platt, both of Guilford. Bello and Platt were convicted of criminal wire fraud, conspiracy and filing false tax returns. They were scheduled to be sentenced in May; the judge postponed the sentencing until Aug. 5.
When word leaked out about the federal investigation of Kelly, the Branford DTC decided in June not to nominate her for town clerk and informed her of the decision. From that point on, she said in an interview, she has faced a DTC wall. “No one [from the DTC] has called me,” she said.
She did not attend the DTC caucus last week, but she observed, “Anybody who knows me knew I would primary.”
She told the Eagle last week that she is determined to keep her job and that she loves the town of Branford and its people.
Kelly was one of many women who testified at the trial. What made her testimony different was that she was an elected official at the time she participated in the tables.
Specifically Jongbloed and his counterpart at the IRS subpoenaed all documents in Kelly’s personnel file, including evaluations, wage information, bonuses and related personnel action. They also wanted to know when she took vacations and sick and personal leave time.
They sought all form 1099s and W‑2 statements along with correspondence and memos.
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