Disgraced Dobelle Raising Money for Disgraced Perez.
They are partners in shame, reunited to punish Hartford. Former Trinity College president Evan Dobelle is raising money for felonious former Hartford mayor Eddie Perez’s mayoral campaign, Daily Ructions has learned. Perez worked for Dobelle when the former Pittsfield, Massachusetts, mayor was president of Trinity College.
Dobelle came to grief during his controversial tenure at Westfield State University, where he made profligate use of a university funds on travel, hotels, and meals. Massachusetts Inspector General Cunha, according to the Boston Globe, “found that criticisms of Dobelle’s spending were well-founded, concluding in July 2014 that he used hundreds of thousands of dollars from university accounts to pay for trips, electronics, and even a portrait of himself.” Dobelle sued Westfield State officials for their criticisms of his practices, claiming they had damaged his reputation and ought to pay him $1.6 million in compensation.
Rather than receive a payment, Dobelle settled claims against him by agreeing to pay $185,000. In addition, Dobelle was “banned from working for — or even volunteering at — ‘any public institution of higher education within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ under the settlement,” according to the Globe, which exposed Dobelle’s spending.
Dobelle’s named was removed last year from the Middlesex Community College library. He served as president of that school from 1987-1990.
Perez, who was convicted of corruption during his tenure as mayor of Hartford, served as an assistant to Dobelle until he became mayor in 2001.
Dobelle has been making fundraising calls for Perez, who is challenging incumbent Luke Bronin for the Democratic nomination for mayor. Bronin got off to a fast start in the fundraising competition, collecting $500,000 mostly from donors outside Hartford. Bronin’s wife, who serves on the city’s zoning board, has been making unpleasant fundraising calls, a reminder that dubious fundraising surrogates are not limited to the Perez campaign.