The mayoral campaign of Democrat Melody Currey has raised $44,612 - easily outdistancing the combined mayoral campaign efforts of her opponents, Republican George Franek Jr. ($6,258.14) and Independent Susan Kniep ($1,745) through September 30, according to paperwork filed with the Town Clerk before an October 11 reporting deadline.

State Rep. Currey has also outspent her rivals by a similarly wide margin - $22,825.99 for postage, mailing and promotional materials - compared to Franek ($1,939.27) and Kniep's ($1,410.19) election campaigns. The spending gap has Currey's foes crying 'foul' over the sources of Currey's contributions.

A Gazette examination of the donor records at the Town Clerk's office seems to bear out Franek's charge that the majority of State Representative Currey's financial backing comes from sources outside of East Hartford.

For example, during the initial campaign reporting period until July 1 the Melody for Mayor campaign took in $13,970 from individual donors, $4,050 in ad book contributions and $2,500 from political action committees, or PACS. The 52 listed East Hartford contributors donated a total of $3,010 to Currey during that initial reporting period. The second reporting period showed more East Hartford-based donors with the two largest contributors the partners of the First Merchants Group, Larry Nierenberg of Newton, Mass and Greg Sapere of Wilbraham Mass who each gave Currey $1,000. First Merchants just broke ground October 6 on a multi-million development at the corner of Main Street and Connecticut Boulevard and also has submitted plans to build a hotel on Pitkin Street.

While Kniep and Franek's mayoral campaigns are supported largely by friends and family, Currey has the backing of some of the state' largest lobbying firms in her campaign - at least according to the spreadsheets stapled to the official form at the Town Clerk's office at Town Hall.

Listed as a lobbyist is David O'Leary of Waterburym, down for a $500 donation, as is the president of Goodwin College, Mark Sheinberg. Scheinberg told the Gazette, however, that he hosted a party for Curey and is not a lobbyist.

Currey received $250 from a political action committee headed by "B. DeCrescenzo" at One State Street. That is the address of former East Hartford Mayor Robert M. DeCrescenzo's law firm, Updike Kelley & Spellacy. DeCrescenzo said his law firm does have a Political action committee, UKS PAC, but that it had not contributed to currey's campaign and did not intend to do so.

Other Currey PACS listing include: The Manus PAC headed by public relations agency David McCluskey, the Preston Hill Committee headed by Antoinette Goode, Democrats for Eastern Connecticut headed by Jack Mazzarella, 3rd Millennium Democrats treasurer is Joanne LeBeau, A Brighter CT headed by John Igielski, treasurer, the Ct Food Ind. Pac of Farmington, Better Action for CT headed by Jay Malcynski of Kensington, the Insurance Association of CT, Democrats in Action, the Ct. Retail Merchants Assoc., CFD, Justice PAC, BRBI headed by Tom Ritter.

Other East Hartford businesses pitched in to the Currey campaign coffers as well. Coca-Cola Enterprises of Atlanta, Ga. gave her $500, the Rose City PAC - Rose City just built a new pawn shop at Pitkin and Main Street - donated $100.

The town employee' insurance carrier, Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North Haven, gave her campaign $500, Leadership for the Millennium donated $500, Leadership for Stamford gave $1,000, Action Democrats gave $300 and the "Better Action PAC" donated $550.

Sixteeen companies paid $250 each for ads in a program booklet including SBC, the CT Beer Wholesalers, The Phoenix, CHA, BRBT, Sullivan & Leshane, Gaffney, Bennett Assoc. and Shoot Peening of East Hartford. East Hartford Chamber of Commerce president Scott Chadwick and executive director Marybeth Reid each gave Currey donations, $275 and $125 respectively.

Currey also got the support of her colleagues in th3e state house from East Hartford. Leadership 04 chaired by 9th District State Rep. Chris Stone gave $150 and 11th District State Rep. Michael Christ was listed as giving Currey $10.

The Democrat's biggest fundraising expenses came at a $150 per ticket wine tasting at Cavey's in Manchester June 17 which cost her campaign $2,000, a cocktail party at the home of Loretta Dienst August 19 which cost $853, and another $800 for catering with Krause Caterers, $349.80 for food from the Public Market in Newington and $1,832 for banners from Hi Point in July. The Melody for Mayor campaign spent $3,423 on postage.

By contrast the Franek campaign listed as its biggest expense $180 Wanda Franek spent on food for the candidate's backyard barbeque fundraiser July 15. Mark Scheinberg also gave the Franek campaign $250 as did former state representative Gary Berner, now the Republican state political director.

Kniep's Independents for Council slate each coughed up a $100 contribution for with the exception of John Bezzini 3rd who donated $150 and john Bezzini Jr. who donated $50. George Bodman, Eedward Bartek and Lillan Henson of East Hartford each donated $100 to the Independent slate.

Susan Kniep filed a complaint overt the way contributions to the Melody for Mayor campaign were listed with the East Hartford Town Clerk. Rather than complete the official disclosure forms, copies of a spread sheet listing the contributions was stapled to the cover sheet of the report. The spread sheet also does not list the occupations of the individual donors to Currey.

This is cache, read story here