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New Haven Democratic Mayor Toni Harp is trying to change the subject from the federal criminal investigation into her administration with this upbeat testimonial ad.

Harp has suffered some serious losses to challenger Justin Elicker as Democratic ward committees poll their members on their choice for mayor.

Read The Courant’s Chris Keating on the race for mayor of New Haven. It’s a rematch between incumbent Democrat Toni Harp and challenger Justin Elicker.

Harp’s seeking a fourth term while her administration is under siege from a federal law enforcement criminal investigation of the city’s youth services department–headed until recently by Harp insider Jason Bartlett. Harp’s hoping to keep the lid on public disquiet over the investigation. She will need to do better than comparing a federal subpoena to a request for documents under the Freedom of Information Act. The two are not close to the same.

A federal investigation of corruption in an administration always puts the person at the top under strain. Harp faces the challenge of balancing her legal strategy with bolstering her immediate political prospects. Neither will be served if she keeps spouting nonsense aimed at minimizing a summer of growing peril.

John W. Cerreta, a former clerk to Justice Samuel Alito when Alito was on the Third Circuit, is favored to win White House backing for the Second Circuit vacancy created by the retirement of Connecticut favorite Christopher Droney, Daily Ructions has learned.

Cerreta practices law at the multi-state firm Day Pitney, LLC. The Simsbury Republican received his undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut in 2002 and his law degree from Cornell three years later.

In the 2018 campaign cycle Cerreta made the maximum allowable contribution to Democrat Shawn Wooden and left-wing Democrat Christopher Mattei, as well as $200 to one-note Republican Robert Stefanowski.

Cerreta was on a list of three potential nominees submitted by the White House to Connecticut’s two United States senators.

Give a nod of appreciation to France as you celebrate America’s Independence Day. The French helped George Washington out of a lot of scrapes. Vive la France!

New Fairfield Republican David X. Sullivan will seek his party’s nomination for Congress in the 5th CD. The former assistant U.S. attorney will face first term Democrat Jahana Hayes if he is nominated.

Sullivan filed his State of Candidacy with the FEC today, July 1st.

Daily Ructions pays more attention than most Americans to the offerings on the BBC’s Radio 4. The Media Show is always interesting. Here’s a link to a show from January with British public relations professionals as guests. You may never need to puzzle over Jerry Hall arrested in Barbados, but it all makes for a worthwhile 28 minutes, especially the crisis communications segment near the end.

Popular political professional Joe Dunn has left his post as chief of staff for 5th CD U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes. Dunn departs less than six months after Hayes took office.

What is it about that 5th District office? Murphy, Esty and now Hayes. Business, community, and political leaders hold Dunn in high regard and will be puzzled at his leave-taking after so short a time with Hayes.

Governor Ned Lamont may be able to restore his credibility and fix roads and bridges. Here’s a way forward.

New Haven Mayor Toni Harp’s re-election campaign either had its email hacked or has come unhinged. The campaign responded with a bizarre statement to the not-so-surprising news that federal law enforcement is taking a keen interest in the affairs of Harp’s administration.

Harp’s campaign manager, Ed Corey, concentrated his fire on Harp challenger Justin Elicker’s wife, Natalie. She’s a lawyer at the U.S. attorney’s office. Corey concludes that Natalie Elicker is the manipulative genius who connived to get her office to examine Harp and her crew. It all sounds nutty and desperate when you read it, as you can do here:

Today, New Haven Mayor Toni Harp’s Campaign Manager, Ed Corey, came out swinging back at the barrage of accusations and the impending investigation into the Harp Administration.

“It is nothing more than a political hit job by an otherwise desperate campaign,” Corey said, pointing out that Justin Elicker’s spouse, Natalie, is an Assistant U.S. Attorney working in the Trump administration.

“It is easy to surmise that certain DTC leaders coordinated with the Elicker campaign to leverage Natalie Elicker’s influence to initiate a baseless FBI investigation. It is apparent that candidate Justin Elicker had inside knowledge of the investigation into City Hall. Attorney Elicker clearly had her hand in manipulating the FBI into moving forward, which is reminiscent of the FBI’s sloppy meddling in the 2016 election. It is no surprise to me that Attorney Elicker is willing to use the same tactics that got her boss elected, to get her husband elected. 

Mayor Harp has previously reaffirmed that her administration will cooperate fully in any investigation. We are confident that this baseless investigation initiated by disgruntled political opponents of the Mayor will turn up nothing.”

Corey concluded, “Justin Elicker likes to talk a lot. My question to Justin is, have you been completely honest about your record? That remains to be seen as far as I’m concerned. We’ll see what the voters think on Tuesday, September 10th.”

Harp and Elicker will face each other next month when the Democratic town committee meets to endorse a candidate.