A Connecticut state senator and his former campaign treasurer pleaded not guilty on Tuesday.
Bridgeport Democratic Senator Dennis Bradley and former School Board Chairman Jessica Martinez pleaded not guilty Tuesday afternoon of fraud and conspiracy charges. The bond was set at $ 300,000 for Bradley and $ 250,000 for Martinez.
Prosecutors allege that in order to qualify for the state’s public campaign funding system, the couple lied about a campaign event in March 2018 and the amount of campaign dues received, according to a federal indictment.
They wrongly received $ 84,140 from the Connecticut Citizen’s Election Fund for the 2018 Democratic primary and wrongly tried to get an additional $ 95,710 for the general election, prosecutors said.
“I think I can say there is very strong evidence against him,” said US assistant attorney Jonathan Francis when advocating high ties.
Bradley’s attorney, Jim Glasser, said he had a very different view of the strength of the government’s case.
Shaken by public corruption scandals, Connecticut passed law in 2005 that created a voluntary system whereby legislative and state candidates receive public funding to run their campaigns, as long as they agree to strict rules on spending and fundraising.
They must collect a certain number of small contributions – $ 5 to $ 100 – from individuals, including many who live in their districts, in order to qualify for the program and receive grants for their campaigns. Contributors cannot be lobbyists, current or potential government contractors, or their family members. The state places a limit on spending on personal resources at $ 2,000.
Bradley reportedly used personal funds to pay a venue with $ 5,597.31 for the campaign event and used personal funds for other campaign expenses related to the event, including printed invitations and a band, among other things.
“Candidates for public office must be subject to a high standard of conduct, especially when they apply for public funding for their campaigns,” said acting US attorney Leonard Boyle. “It is alleged that these defendants not only broke the rules at the start of Bradley’s first Senate election campaign, but also carried out an extensive cover-up to hide their illegal behavior and obtain additional public funding. The US Attorney General and our FBI partners pledge to hold officials accountable. “
Bradley was elected in 2018 to represent the 23rd Senate District, which includes Bridgeport. He was ousted Tuesday as deputy majority leader and co-chair of the General Assembly’s Public Safety Committee, which oversees issues such as police and fire training and emergency preparedness, state building codes and legalized gambling.
“Based on the information currently available on Senator Bradley, I have taken a first step to protect the integrity of the Senate,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney.
Bradley’s seat is the same as former Senator Ernest Newtown, who pleaded guilty to federal bribery, postal fraud and evasion, and federal income tax on September 20, 2005, and served four years in prison. In 2019, Newton pleaded guilty to three crime financing violations in an unrelated case involving the public campaign funding system. The Connecticut State Supreme Court later overturned his convictions and ordered a new trial.
The Senate was due to consider an important bill on gambling and sports betting on Tuesday. Typically the committee co-chair would lead this debate. State Senator Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, who is named as Bradley’s temporary replacement pending prosecution, is expected to fill out.
Bradley, a 37-year-old attorney, also served as chairman of the Bridgeport Board of Education from 2015 to 2019.
Martinez, 39, is still a member of the Bridgeport school board after being dismissed as chairman last year, the Connecticut Post reported.
The selection of the jury was provisionally set for August 2nd.
Associate press writers Susan Haigh and Dave Collins contributed to this report.
