Connecticut Democrat admits to blatantly violating the state's public election financing program

GREENWICH, CT- In November 2022, in Connecticut’s 36th State Senate district, incumbent Republican Ryan Fazio won reelection to that seat, defeating his challenger, Democrat Trevor Crow, by 96 votes. The narrow margin triggered a recanvass. After his election was upheld, Fazio began serving his first full two-year term in the Connecticut State Senate, the Stamford Advocate reported. 

Now, Connecticut Republicans are speaking out after it was revealed that Crow violated Connecticut’s campaign finance laws during her 2022 campaign, and they are demanding the State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) investigate. 

During a January 17 meeting held by the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee, Crow appeared to put her foot squarely in her mouth when she admitted, albeit unaware when she said it, that she had violated the Connecticut Citizens’ Election Program by raising additional funds outside of that program, a violation of state law. 

On the website touting the program, it reads, in part:

Chapter 157 of the Connecticut General Statutes establishes the Citizens’ Election Program (the “Program”), a voluntary program which provides clean election financing to qualified candidates for statewide offices and the General Assembly. [emphasis added]

In her speech to the committee, Crow said, in part, “Two years ago, my name was unknown. It was an uphill battle. I started late and didn’t know anyone or anything,” she said. “We used the Citizens Election program, which I supplemented by raising an additional $50,000 for our TTCs and our PACS to spend on our race. And District 36 was newly redistricted, subsequently becoming more Republican.” [emphasis added]

That $50,000 presents a significant problem for Crow. Under the Citizen’s Election Program guidelines, Crow’s campaign was limited to raising $17,300 from small donors for the position of state senator. While we don’t claim to be mathematicians, it seems Crow blew through that number by $32,700. Under the law, Crow was allowed to contribute an additional $2,000 in personal funds. 

After word of Crow’s campaign finance law violation was leaked to the public, Connecticut Republican Chairman Ben Proto asked for an investigation by the SEEC and to levy appropriate punishment. 

“Trevor Crow has admitted in an open forum that she wilfully violated Connecticut’s clean campaign finance laws by raising additional funds to spend on her race while using the state grant,” said Proto. “This admission should immediately trigger the SEEC to launch an investigation and hold her accountable prior to her next campaign,” Proto said. 

“SEEC enforcement exists to ensure clean and fair elections as well as administer the law regarding the public financing program. When a candidate brags about purposely violating the clear language of the law, as well as the spirit and intent of the law, they need to be held accountable,” Proto continued. 

The intent of the law is to eliminate special interest and dark money from state elections.

The program guide also reads: "Once qualified for a grant, a participating candidate may not raise additional money and must use only the grant money provided through the Program, plus any remaining qualifying contributions and unspent personal funds provided by the candidate before applying for the grant. "

“The Citizen’s Election Program is designed to ensure that a candidate does not utilize outside “dark” money. Unfortunately for the voters of the 36th Senate District, Trevor Crow has shown a blatant disregard for the laws of our state and that she is willing to skirt the law to try to win an election–clearly not the type of person the people of Greenwich, Stamford, or New Canaan deserve as their State Senator,” Proto concluded.  

Ironically, a CT Mirror article from September 14, 2020 touted the Citizen’s Election Program as a “national model for clean elections.” That national model didn’t prevent a Democrat in Bridgeport from stuffing a ballot box in Bridgeport, Connecticut, with scores of ballots for convicted felon and Bridgeport mayoral candidate Joseph Ganim in that city’s Democrat primary.  

Wanda Geter-Pataky, vice-chair of the Bridgeport Democratic Town Committee, was implicated in the scheme and, during a lawsuit hearing challenging the primary results, invoked her Fifth Amendment rights. A judge eventually ordered a new primary to be held after the conclusion of the trial.