The essential Jeff Cohen strikes again. WNPR’s Hartford reporter broke the story today that beleaguered City Treasurer Adam Cloud is the subject of some interest by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC has subpoenaed 2011 and 2015 campaign finance reports from the keeper of the records, the City Clerk’s office.

The news comes just days before Hartford Democratic activists and city employees on the party’s town committee meet to endorse candidates for this fall’s municipal election.

Cloud’s first full term has been marred by scandal, notably his curious relationship with Earl O’Garro, the former city insurance broker to whom Cloud’s office sent hundreds of thousands of dollars before it disappeared. O’Garro’s company was a tenant in a Cloud family building. Cloud will strain to make a convincing case this time that he’s a victim. Expect Cloud’s team, however, to try to convince town committee members that he’s the target of skullduggery that reaches all the way from Hartford to the halls of the SEC.

Cloud’s rambling statement suggests the investigation is being used to damage his reputation. If so, that’s a tiny target.

If the incumbent treasurer wins the town committee’s endorsement next week, September primary voters may be confronted with a Bronin-Cloud ticket. Not good news for the Greenwich brahmin.

State Republican chair J.R. Romano has declined to meet with his Democratic counterpart until the state Democratic party organization complies with a subpoena from the State Election Enforcement Committees’s investigation into its role in financing Governor Dannel P. Malloy’s 2014 re-election campaign. State Democrats are raising noisy objections to the subpoena, which seeks records from Malloy and top lieutenants.

Here’s the exchange between Romano and Democrat Nick Balletto. (Note how they address each other as Chairman, like members of some dreary 20th century politburo. People in politics do crave their titles.)

Balletto to Romano:

Chairman Romano,

I wanted to take this opportunity to reach out to you and  introduce myself and welcome you as a fellow State Party Chair.

Our parties may well have different policies and strategies – but as I said on the night you were elected, I hope that we can develop a relationship as there are times when our parties should collaborate and be in touch. And despite the public statements our respective parties will undoubtedly make, I know how tough our positions are in advocating for our political party.

Therefore, in order to open that dialogue – I wanted to see if we could get together for lunch and build a relationship that we could call upon if ever there was a need. 

Let me know if you might have time in the coming weeks and months as you get settled in this new position. You can reach me here at nballetto@ctdems.org or at (860) ———.

Once again congratulations on your election, and hope to be in touch.

Regards,

Nick Balletto

Romano to Balletto:

Chairman Balletto,

JR Romano

Jon Conradi, who a year ago was guiding Heather Bond Somers to an upset win in the Republican contest for lieutenant governor, is the Director of Audience Engagement for LifeZette.com, Glastonbury native Laura Ingraham’s new, broad culture website. It launched today.

For a taste of the variety  of offerings and the quality of work, take a look at this terrific piece on standards from the Great American Songbook that every child (and you) should know. Great stuff and I welcome break from the diet of harangues that characterize contemporary political discourse. Tastes may change, but the talented choices of writer Raymond Arroyo endure.

A fine and interesting start for LifeZette.

State Treasurer Denise Nappier has recruited Richard Gray, who served in the treasurer’s office under the disgraced Paul Silvester, to serve as her deputy, Daily Ructions can report. Nappier defeated Silvester in a 1998 squeaker. She spent much of her first term (she’s now in her 5th) condemning Silvester and seeking to reverse the abuses of his dark tenure in office.

Silvester, readers will recall, went to prison for a corruption spree after he was appointed to fill the vacancy that occurred when incumbent Christopher Burnham resigned under unusual circumstances that raised ethics questions.

Gray served as a deputy under Silvester. He went on to become involved through felonious former Governor John G. Rowland’s administration in some controversial deals and doomed  under the auspices of the Capital City Economic Development Authority. Last year, Gray entered into a secret severance agreement with the University of Connecticut, where he served as budget chief.

Gray’s appointment confirms Nappier’s enduring reputation as a bit of a nightmare to work for.  She must have been turned down by plenty of other possible candidates to have gotten to Gray, who once represented everything Nappier opposed.

MSNBC morning host and former U.S. Representative Joe Scarborough will host a small gathering of Connecticut Republicans at his New Canaan home on Saturday evening. The purpose of the dinner is the same one thousands of others are discussing around the state: How do we rescue Connecticut?

Scarborough, who was elected to Congress four times from a Florida district, occupies a powerful perch as co-host of the liberal network’s Morning Joe program. He’s used it to torment Governor Dannel Malloy and announce to a wider world beyond Connecticut Malloy’s manifold and ongoing failings.

J.R. Romano wins a second ballot to lead Connecticut’s fractious state party committee. Joe Markley dropped out after the first ballot. Romano went on to defeat John Pavia.

Romano: 33.5

Pavia: 24.5

Markley: 22

A second ballot will begin after a recess–and some frantic horse trading.

Republican State Central Committee members will gather in Bristol Tuesday night to elect a new committee chairman. Hopefuls Joe Markley, John Pavia and J. R. Romano and their supporters were scampering to confirm votes they think are committed to them and secure others in the long contest.

Rumors remain a staple of this race. Nevertheless, informal soundings suggest that Romano holds an advantage in the party hothouse as uncommitted members make up their minds and unscrupulous ones ponder the ones they have made. Honor can take a pummeling in intra-party contests.

Mark Boughton, mayor of Danbury and a member of the state party committee, has an unusual suggestion. Boughton wants to end the roll call as soon as one candidate achieves a majority and make the committee’s choice unanimous. This could keep members who have passed at the beginning of the roll call or are at the end of it from casting a vote. That does not seem right. The trio of candidates deserve a proper vote.

Here’s Boughton’s email:

Friends,

Tonight we will elected a new State Party Chair. We have three candidates who have been working most of the spring to secure our support.

Regardless of who your favorite candidate is. I would like to offer the following suggestion for tonight’s vote in the interest of party unity.

Once a candidate has acquired the required number of votes to win (50% plus 1) – as a showing of support for the new Chair and a message that we are unified, that we switch our ballot for the Chairman – elect so that the election will be unanimous.

This can be accomplished by having the Chair of the meeting pause once it has been determined that a candidate has crossed the threshold for election, announce the tally of the vote, and then asking if any members would like to switch their vote.

Of course any member has the right not to switch, it’s just an idea.

Regards,

Mark Boughton

A business group will meet with Florida Governor Rick Scott Friday morning in Norwalk “to find ways to retain jobs and people” in Connecticut. Organizers expect more than 50 members to attend the 8 a.m. confab.

We can expect more of this as business leaders raiser their voices in protest at new punitive taxes on innovation and production in Connecticut.

Here’s more on the event:

Steve Obsitnik and Bart Shuldman, both local business leaders said, “The continued impact of the budget and proposed tax increases make the business environment in Connecticut an increasing challenge. As business leaders who constantly benchmark and look for best practices, we want to find constructive, thoughtful ways for businesses to stay competitive and create job growth within our state. In addition to hearing from other business leaders, Governor Rick Scott from Florida has asked to address this group. Florida has been successful in improving its job growth and business climate and his thoughts will give us insight into how we must react as a state and business leaders. As important, it will give us a better understanding into how our competitors outside of Connecticut are gaining advantage in other states against us. We look forward to providing the opportunity for participants in this group to discuss changing the course of Connecticut’s future.”

The roundtable will be closed to the media. Florida Governor Rick Scott will be addressing the group with a question and answer session which will be open to the media. 

Florida began airing economic development commercials on Connecticut radio Monday.

Unhappy state Senate Democrats will caucus by telephone Monday evening. Some of the 19 caucus members who voted for their leaders’ budget on June 3rd are dismayed at events that followed the adoption of another round of tax increases required to fund of he two-year $40 billion budget.

Members of the public have been making their dissatisfaction with the budget known. National media attention has made Connecticut a cautionary tale for punitive taxes to support lavish spending in a state with an economy perpetually in the doldrums. The spotlight on Connecticut’s damaging policies comes as GE continues to look for a new home, Sikorsky is on the block, and Indiana-based Anthem makes a bid for Connecticut health insurer Cigna.

The 21-member caucus was caught by surprise when Governor Dannel P. Malloy, a fellow Democrat, announced Friday that he’ll seek authority from the legislature to make a quarter billion in reductions to the budget and propose some small reductions to parts of the tax increase package.