The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
GOP lawyer fired after admitting taking PAC cash
The legal counsel for the state Senate Republicans was fired after he told leadership he removed, without authorization, tens of thousands of dollars from a PAC intended to support candidates, the Senate GOP leader said Monday.
Michael Cronin was terminated Monday and has turned himself in to the Chief State’s Attorney, according to Len Fasano, the Senate minority leader, R-North Haven. Cronin worked as a counsel for the caucus for nearly 20 years, his Linked In account states, and was promoted to chief counsel in August.
“It hurts,” said Fasano, speaking to reporters at the Capitol Monday afternoon. “It’s shocking.”
A criminal investigation is underway.
Cronin was sole signatory for the Senate Republican Leadership PAC, one of three PACs Senate Republicans use. He was the only person with access to that PAC’s bank account.
Senate Republican staff noticed that something was wrong when vendors started calling last week saying they were not paid for campaignrelated services, Fasano said. A bounced check was also returned to their office.
Fasano started asking Cronin, a 55-year-old West Hartford resident, about the unpaid bills in a phone conversation on Friday, he said. Cronin reassured Fasano, but when Cronin would not provide the documentation that Fasano requested, Fasano demanded an in-person meeting.
The pair met at Fasano’s office in New Haven at 7:45 a.m. Monday morning, and Cronin confessed to removing the money. Fasano would not specify what Cronin used the money he took for.
Ross Garber, an attorney representing Cronin, said Cronin takes “full responsibility” for his actions.
“He voluntarily reported them to Senate Republican leadership and to the Chief State’s Attorney’s office,” said Garber, a partner at Shipman & Goodwin who was chief counsel to former Gov. John G. Rowland. “He is cooperating with authorities and is committed to ensuring that all donor funds are accounted for and fully restored.”
The Chief State’s Attorney’s office declined to comment Monday afternoon, spokesman Mark Dupuis said. A spokesman for the State Elections Enforcement Commission also declined to comment on whether Cronin’s alleged actions might have left the PAC in violation of campaign laws.
Senate Republicans were unsure exactly how much money Cronin took from the PAC Monday. Fasano said a detailed audit of which bills were paid and which were not would be necessary to determine the full amount. But Fasano said Cronin only removed money from the account in 2018 — and he said no campaign was affected.
Filings by the Senate Republican Leadership Committee show that as of Oct. 31, the PAC had raised or previously had on hand a total of $177,832, and spent $113,265 on this year’s campaigns, leaving $64,556 on hand. Expenditures included, for example, $7,579 for mailings for Rep. Melissa Ziobron, who fell short in her bid for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Art Linares.
The campaigns, Fasano said, “got the benefit of the resources because it was work performed,” said Fasano. “It’s the vendors who are out, who we are calling and explaining what happened. We’ll make good to them as well.”
Cronin made $175,000 a year in his legislative position, state payroll data shows. He also is a board member on the Connecticut Judicial Branch Committee on Guardians Ad Litem and is vice chairman of the Connecticut State Marshal Commission, according to his LinkedIn page.