Fasano Calls on Working Families Party to Return $7,000 in Dirty Money

Fasano: “If I were a candidate endorsed by the Working Families Party, I would immediately renounce that endorsement.”

HARTFORD – Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano (R-North Haven) is calling on the Working Families Party to return a $7,000 donation allegedly made by California entrepreneur Derek Bluford who, according to the New Haven Independent, is under federal indictment for financial fraud.

A New Haven Independent investigative report published yesterday shines a light on the $7,000 donation from Bluford to the Working Families Party.

“Clean elections are the essence of our Democracy. If this is true, the Working Families Party should return the funds immediately in the name of clean elections,” said Sen. Fasano. “This is dirty money from someone who is allegedly under federal indictment for fraud. The Working Families Party should be returning this money and making a commitment to root out dirty politics.  Instead their comments in the New Haven Independent defend the potentially corrupt contribution and make a mockery of clean elections in Connecticut.”

Fasano added, “Obviously, based on the party’s comments in the New Haven Independent, it doesn’t sound like they are going to return the funds. Therefore, if I were a candidate endorsed by the Working Families Party, I would immediately renounce that endorsement. Keeping an endorsement from a party that takes dirty money and defends those actions after the fact speaks volumes about character. How can anyone stand there and say they support clean elections if they allow this to go unchallenged?”

“The State Director of the Connecticut Working Families party has previously criticized changes to the public financing of elections, warning of ‘pay-to-play politics’ and ‘corporations and wealthy individuals offering major campaign contributions in exchange for expensive state contracts.’ Perhaps she should listen to her own warnings and consider what this money could be tied to,” Fasano said.