Busy year for public campaign financing

For the first time since it took effect in statewide political campaigns in 2010, neither candidate for governor will participate in the public financing program that was created to check corruption and eliminate special-interest money.

But the refusal of the two candidates for governor to join the voluntary Citizens’ Election Fund this year does not signal the death knell of the program. In fact, it’s never been stronger. The two finalists, businessman Ned Lamont, of Greenwich, and Bob Stefanowski, of Madison, are mostly adhering to the key requirement of the CEF: contribution limits of $100.

An analysis by the State Elections Enforcement Commission shows while they are self-funding their campaigns, only 4 percent of Lamont’s contributions have exceeded the $100 limit of the CEF. Stefanowski, a former businessman who used his millions to petition his way onto the primary ballot and bombard the state with TV commercials as far back as January, has accepted about 29 percent of his contributions in excess of $100.

The SEEC said Stefanowski and Lamont are accepting virtually no contributions from state contractors or lobbyists. That was a goal of the program since the bipartisan 2005 legislation was signed into law by Gov. M. Jodi Rell after scandals including the corruption cases that sent John G. Rowland, the former Republican governor, and Ernie Newton, a Democratic state lawmaker from Bridgeport, to federal prison on corruption charges.

Grants up

Michael J. Brandi, executive director and chief counsel for the SEEC, said Tuesday that his agency, which sustained a 40 percent budget cut in 2011, saw a 32 percent increases in grants for political primaries this year compared to 2014. Candidates received a 69 percent increase in contributions compared to the 2014 race, when Gov. Dannel P. Malloy won re-election over Tom Foley, who self-funded in 2010 and participated in the CEF in 2014.

“The run of the program this year is one of the most successful in history,” Brandi

said in an interview. “When the Republicans started this process, three out of the five candidates for governor did participate.”

Lamont’s unsuccessful Democratic challenger, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, was ruled ineligible for participation in the CEF because of the earlier corruption conviction landed him in federal prison for seven years.

Although Lamont and Stefanowski aren’t participating, about 260 other candidates are on track to join the program this summer and fall. With no governors to fund, the program saves $1.35 million in primary support and $6.5 million for the general election, per candidate.

“The narrative out there is false,” Brandi said of the reported demise of public funding. “We’ve seen more competition in the primaries, and this year there will probably be a record number of participants.”

“The run of the program this year is one of the most successful in history.”

Michael J. Brandi, executive director and chief counsel for the SEEC

Claims of unfairness

All five lieutenant governor candidates and four of five candidates for attorney general participated in the CEF. Originally estimated at between $29 million and $44 million, the cost of this year’s campaigns may end up closer to $25 million, according to the SEEC.

But Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, who won the GOP endorsement at the May convention, said Monday apparent staff shortages in the state’s election watchdog might have slowed his campaign. His bigger complaint is party rules allowed Stefanowski to avoid the traditional format of campaigning.

“It’s just not a good setup,” Boughton said of Stefanowski’s petition campaign and refusal to have his name put before the convention for a vote.

“The first guy on the air wins,” Boughton said. “If you get your face shown around the state, you’re going to win the election. So you don’t have to go to the town committee meetings, the pig roasts, the dinner dances, or the convention. The current process is ruined, so we should go to a direct primary in May, so Republicans and Democrats can spend the summer meeting voters.”

“Yes, millionaires will be fighting amongst themselves for the top elected official job in the state,” said Cheri Quickmire, executive director of Common Cause in Connecticut, the election watchdog group. “But it’s important to remember in all the down ticket elections, the program remains robust. It’s a strong program that offers a chance to run for those who could not otherwise.”

She agreed with Boughton that to give candidates for governor a better chance against millionaires, the program requires revisions.

“We need to make sure those in the program can get their funding earlier and actualize their campaigns before the last minute,” she said. “We have done nothing but de-fund the SEEC for years.”

Boughton said on April 10, he filed his request for the $1.35 million grant to run the primary under the CEF. He and other GOP candidates, including Tim Herbst, of Trumbull, and Steve Obsitnik, of Westport, didn’t get their CEF grants until July.

“That was months without feedback,” Boughton said, stressing he is supporting Stefanowski. “To be fair to SEEC, they’re shortstaffed, I get it. But I think SEEC is broken beyond repair. Three people respected the process and other people did an end run around the process. The party didn’t reward the people who respected the process.”