Donovan staffer charged with graft (Updated)

At a Friday afternoon press conference, Christopher Donovan’s new campaign director said he will remain in the race for Congress’ Fifth District, and will not step down as speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives in advance of a mid-June special session.

The FBI charged the former director of Donovan”™s Fifth District campaign with arranging and concealing payments in exchange for favorable action on a bill before the Connecticut General Assembly.

On Wednesday FBI agents arrested Meriden resident Robert Braddock Jr., 33, and released an affidavit with purported wiretap excerpts and other evidence. He was released on a $100,000 bond. In a statement, U.S. Attorney David Fein said the investigation is continuing, without saying whether other charges are imminent.

In an affidavit, the FBI claims Braddock accepted thousands of dollars from unnamed donors who sought to block a bill from becoming law that would have defined “roll-your-own smoke shop” owners as tobacco manufacturers, exposing them to additional taxes and fees the industry incurs in Connecticut.

Donovan fired Braddock and hired a former prosecutor to conduct his own internal investigation of his campaign’s finances.

State Sen. John McKinney of Fairfield called Friday for Donovan’s resignation as speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives.

In an at times contentious news conference Friday, new campaign director Tom Swan said Donovan has no intention to do so, adding he expects Donovan’s supporters to rally around the candidate and that the campaign would maintain its fundraising activities.

Donovan was the top vote getter in last month”™s Democratic convention for the Congressional Fifth District, with current U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Joe Lieberman.

“These allegations are despicable,” said Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, in a written statement posted online Thursday. “While I am encouraged that the speaker is cooperating with the investigation, his position requires that he give our residents a full explanation of what he knows. Allegations like this not only damage a campaign or a candidate, they also undermine citizen”™s belief in their government”™s ability to carry out its responsibilities.

“In terms of what comes next for the speaker, I urge him to give it a lot of thought, quickly, and come forward and speak to the people of Connecticut,” Malloy said in a subsequent statement Friday.

[Editor’s note: This article was updated to reflect statements made by new Donovan campaign director Tom Swan at a June 1 press conference.]