A routine audit found a failed 2024 campaign improperly used money from the state’s public financing program, including spending $500 on clothes, according to the State Elections Enforcement Commission.
Anna C. Nicolin, of Bethel, was fined $600 in connection with clothing purchases and an improper reimbursement to candidate Melissa Santana, who lost to veteran state Rep. Bob Godfrey, D-Danbury, in the August Democratic primary for the 110th House District that year, 406 votes to 142. Nicolin was the treasurer for Santana’s campaign.
In a companion case, Santana, of Danbury, agreed to reimburse the SEEC $1,769, including $500 that was used to buy clothes, according to an SEEC consent agreement. The SEEC said that money has since been repaid.
The SEEC also found that since Nicolin wasn’t registered to vote, she was also ineligible to be a campaign treasurer in that election cycle, according to the consent agreement. The agency stressed that Nicolin, who was a first time campaign treasurer, was cooperative during the investigation.
Nicolin and Santana did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.
In May, the SEEC approved an investigation into expenditure irregularities including Santana’s $500 clothing purchase at Macy’s, as well as a $1,269 payment to Santana from a returned security deposit for the campaign’s six-month rental of Danbury office space. According to the consent agreement, Nicolin said the payment was to help Santana defray the personal cost of the office lease. But there was no claim in the SEEC filings for such reimbursement, the agency reported.
“While respondent Nicolin claims that the security deposit was paid to the candidate to help defray the candidate’s use of personal funds to pay off the remainder of the office lease, there was no claim for reimbursement as required to be recorded and reported,” according to the consent agreement.
The commission said in its agreement with Nicolin that the diversion of the deposit violated two state regulations, plus laws requiring that surplus campaign funds be returned to the Citizens’ Election Program, which provided more than $36,400 for Santana to run her campaign against Godfrey, an attorney who is deputy speaker pro tempore of the House of Representatives, where he has served since 1989.
“Respondent Nicolin explained that the ($500 Macy’s) expenditure was for ‘suits, shirts and pants purchased for a photo shoot that Melissa had to do for the campaign,'” the SEEC agreement said, adding that Nicolin sent photographs of the photo session that included Santana wearing the purchased garments.
Mario Borelli, a staff attorney in the SEEC’s enforcement unit, explained the consent agreements during the Aug. 5 commissioner meeting. The consent decree was first reported by Inside Investigator.
The settlements were unanimously approved without comment. Borelli noted that since Nicolin was not a registered voter, she was ineligible to serve as treasurer. In addition to the $600 fine, Nicolin agreed to comply with state law in the future.
In the companion case, Borelli said that Santana agreed on the reimbursement — a combination of the clothing expense and the rental payment — and to also comply with state election law.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
