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Politics & Government

Republican Accuses Fellow Candidate Of Wrongdoing on Petition

First Selectman Candidate Walter Says One Signature On Candidate Cimino's Petition Is Invalid, Making The Entire Petition Null And Void

A complaint filed with the state Elections Enforcement Commission by Republican Selectman Carol Walter alleges that Republican Vincent Cimino submitted a petition to oppose her as an unaffiliated candidate with an invalid signature.

Walter claims that Ray Apel, a Republican who currently serves with her on the board of selectmen, signed both his name and that of his son, Christopher, to the petition.

She maintains that the petition should be invalidated because it contains a signature that is not the personal signature of an elector, and because Cimino provided a sworn statement that all the names on the petition were signed in his presence.

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Walter argues that state law disallows one individual “under any circumstances or degree of relationship” from signing a nominating petition for another.

Asked if he had signed his son’s name to Cimino’s petition, Apel said only, “That’s still up in the air,” before the telephone line fell silent.

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Other than the allegations raised in the complaint, the matter suggests a split within the Clinton GOP.

Walter won the GOP endorsement at a party caucus earlier this summer during which Cimino says he declined the nomination. Shortly thereafter, Cimino announced his intention to run as an unaffiliated candidate, saying he had changed his mind at the urging of Republicans and Democrats.

As the ballot currently stands, both Walter and Cimino are opposing incumbent Democratic First Selectman William Fritz.

In August, Cimino was replaced as chairman of the Republican town committee by Phil Sengle, Walter’s campaign co-chairman, and Ray Apel was replaced as vice chairman by Bill Walter, Carol Walter’s husband.

Walter’s complaint was brought against Town Clerk Karen Marsden, who certified the 32 signatures on the petition and submitted it to the secretary of state’s office.

Marsden said Cimino delivered his petition with the requisite 32 signatures on August 10, the last day for submitting such petitions. She said she verified each signature through the town voter list and sent it to state officials on Aug. 11.

On August 12, Marsden recalled, Raymond Apel came to her office to report that he had signed the petition for himself and for his son. “He said he always signs for his son and has the legal right to do so,” she said. Later, Cimino appeared in her office to ask if Apel had talked to her.

Finally, Walter and Kim Simoncini, a Republican police commissioner and candidate for the board of selectmen, contacted her to “demand that I remove that name, and I said I can’t do that,” Marsden said.

Marsden said she verified that the signer of a petition is a registered voter, but has no ability to ascertain whether a signature is genuine. Without the matter being raised before she mailed the petition, Marsden said, “I had no reason to be suspicious.”

Marsden said she could not remove the name because the original petition already was en route to state officials and moreover she had no proof that the statements made to her were true.

She subsequently contacted attorneys in the secretary of state’s office and was advised that she didn’t have the legal authority to remove a signature from a nominating petition and should refer Walter to the elections enforcement commission.

Cimino said, “This is the first time I’ve ever circulated a petition for public office. The Apels and I made an appointment to sign the petition, but only Ray appeared and he said he had his son’s authorization to sign it. There was absolutely no intent on my part or the Apels to deceive anyone. Ray is a good and honorable man and acted with the best of intentions.”

Cimino provided the required 32 signatures on his petition, but Walter argues that the petition has only 31 valid signers. Cimino claimed state election officials told him his signature counts and the petition therefore has 33 signatures.

Officials at the state elections commission said state law precludes them from discussing the matter, describing it as “pending.”

Communications Director Nancy Nicolescu said the possible outcomes for complaints filed with the agency are:

1) The elections commission concludes that there is no reason to believe that a violation of law within its jurisdiction occurred and dismiss the matter; 2) authorize the staff to try and resolve the matter without having a hearing; 3) find reason to believe that a violation of law occurred and proceed to a hearing; or, 4) refer the matter to the Chief State’s Attorney’s office for criminal prosecution.

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