Donovan Campaign Aide Braddock Gets 38 Months in Prison

By Ronald DeRosa

The former finance director in ex-House Speaker Chris Donovan's failed congressional campaign was sentenced in federal court to 38 months in prison.

Robert Braddock Jr. will then be ordered to serve one year of supervised release for participating in a scheme to direct illegal contributions into Donovan's 2012 Democratic campaign for the 5th District seat. He was also ordered to pay a $7,500 fine, the U.S. Justice Department said in a news release Tuesday evening.

“In imposing this sentence, the Court has made clear the risks of violating federal campaign laws,” Acting U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly said in the news release.  “These corrupt acts erode our trust in the integrity of our democratic electoral system."

Braddock, 34, was found guilty in May of three counts of conspiring to hide the source of political contributions.

According to a report on CTMirror.org, Judge Janet Arterton said that while Braddock did not initiate the conspiracy to conceil illegal donations from the roll-your-own tobacco industry — in exchange for a proposal to kill pending legislation — he was aware of the scheme.

"(Braddock) assisted in it. He encouraged it," the judge said,according to the Mirror.

Arterton reportedly lessened Braddock's sentence, however, due in part to the fact that he has since been involved in volunteer work through a Florida-based charity group, The Hartford Courant reported.

“This sentence sends a message that knowingly concealing the origin of campaign contributions is a serious crime which cannot and will not be tolerated,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Mertz. “Hopefully, those inclined to disregard campaign finance laws and diminish the voting public’s faith in our election process will be deterred by taking notice that federal prison is a very real possibility.”

Braddock was one of eight people the federal government arrested last year, but the only one of the bunch to plead not guilty in the scheme. The others — six smoke shop owners and Donovan’s former campaign manager, Josh Nassi — all pleaded guilty.   

A federal investigation determined that Nassi and Braddock sought to hide some $27,000 in donations funneled through to Donovan's campaign by a union representative, Harry "Ray" Soucy.

Donovan, a Meriden Democrat and former state representative for the 34th House District, was never charged in the case and still maintains his innocence.