c
 c

  

 
c

 






By EDMUND H. MAHONY, 

 c

8:29 PM EDT, July 23, 2010

Another state primary candidate, would-be comptroller Michael Jarjura this time, is suing the
state over the way it is distributing public campaign money under Connecticut's sweeping new
campaign finance laws.

Jarjura, a Democrat and Waterbury's mayor, is in a bruising primary challenge against Kevin
Lembo, the state's health-care advocate and the party's endorsed candidate for comptroller. The
primary is Aug. 10.

In suit filed in Superior Court in Hartford Friday, Jarjura contends that the State Elections
Enforcement Commission, which administers the public financing of campaigns for state offices,
improperly awarded Lembo a $375,000 campaign grant this week. Jarjura said Lembo failed to
raise the $75,000 needed to qualify for the grant by the July 16 deadline.

The Jarjura suit is the latest in a string of legal challenges as primary campaigns heat up in the
first year that public financing has been available for statewide offices. More than 160 candidates
are seeking public campaign money. A federal appeals court in New York upheld the core
aspects of the state's campaign finance laws on July 13 but struck down some parts as
unconstitutional just as many campaigns were preparing to apply for money.

Since then, Thomas Foley, the Republican-endorsed candidate for governor, has gone to court
four times in unsuccessful efforts to block one of his primary challengers, Lt. Gov. Michael
Fedele, from receiving supplemental state campaign grants.

Jarjura argues in his suit that Lembo missed the qualifying deadline on two counts. Jarjura said
Lembo raised money through July 19, three days beyond the deadline. And Jarjura said Lembo
included in his fundraising total about $1,300 in donations that should have been disallowed
because they exceeded the donation limit or because the donors were not properly identified.

Jarjura said Lembo had raised $75,303 by the July 16 deadline. If the contested $1,300 is
subtracted, Lembo would fail to meet the $75,000 threshold to qualify for a $350,000 state grant,
Jarjura said.

Lembo called the suit a waste of money.

"If the mayor of Waterbury wants to spend the public dollars of his campaign grant on lawyers
and lawsuits, that is his choice," Lembo said. "I am confident that our fundraising and our
application complied completely with the law, and we will continue to talk to the voters of
Connecticut about the issues that are most important to them -- balancing our state budget and
getting our economy back on the right track."

Jarjura wants a court order prohibiting Lembo from receiving and spending state campaign
funds. Lawyers will argue the case at 2 p.m. Monday before Hartford Superior Court Judge
James T. Graham.