In light of arrest, Donovan/Murphy to donate Vaccaro’s $$$

The Hartford Courant today reported Donald Vaccaro, CEO of TicketNetwork Inc., was arrested at an Oscars party last night and charged with a second-degree hate crime, second-degree threatening, breach of peace, first-degree criminal trespass and interfering with police.

Vaccaro’s a somewhat controversial figure who gained a bit more notoriety last year when his company was among the first to qualify for one of Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy’s new job creation subsidies.

The Day in late October ran a piece on TicketNetwork that concluded the company “skirts rules (and) pushes ethical boundaries.”

So Vaccaro’s name popped out at me a few weeks back when I was sifting through House Speaker/congressional candidate Chris Donovan’s, D-Meriden campaign finance filings.

A quick search on the Federal Election Commission website shows Vaccaro has also given cash to U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy’s run for U.S. Senate and over the years donated to other Democrats, the state party and Republican David Cappiello.

I contacted both the Donovan and Murphy campaigns this afternoon asking whether in light of the arrest they intend to return the money.

A spokesman for Donovan said they will donate the $1,000 to a charity. They’re still discussing which one. Meriden’s Women and Families Center.

Waiting to hear back from Murphy’s camp.

UPDATE: Murphy’s campaign just announced Vaccaro’s money will be donated to the WOW/NRZ Community Learning Center in Waterbury.

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Individual Contributions Arranged By Type, Giver, Then Recipient

Contributions to Political Committees

VACCARO, DONALD
VERNON ROCKVILLE, CT 06066
TICKET NETWORK/CEO

   MURPHY, CHRISTOPHER S
    VIA FRIENDS OF CHRIS MURPHY
  09/25/2011 1000.00 11020411755

VACCARO, DONALD
VERNON ROCKVILLE, CT 06066
TICKETNETWORK/CEO

   COURTNEY, JOSEPH D
    VIA COURTNEY FOR CONGRESS
  10/19/2010 2400.00 10932010347

 

   PASCRELL, WILLIAM J. HON. JR.
    VIA PASCRELL FOR CONGRESS
  12/14/2009 500.00 10990220357
  06/30/2010 500.00 10990876370

VACCARO, DONALD J.
VERNON, CT 06066
TICKET NETWORK/CEO

   LARSON, JOHN B
    VIA LARSON FOR CONGRESS
  10/07/2010 2400.00 10931599128

VACCARO, DONALD J.
VERNON, CT 06066
TICKETNETWORK/CEO

   DONOVAN, CHRISTOPHER G
    VIA DONOVAN FOR CONGRESS
  11/19/2011 1000.00 12950416958

VACCARO, DONALD J.
VERNON, CT 06066
TICKETNETWORK/FOUNDER/CEO

   CONNECTICUT DEMOCRATIC STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE
  06/03/2009 525.00 29934327307
  04/02/2010 700.00 10990690713
  05/11/2011 1750.00 11931681520

VACCARO, DONALD MR.
VERNON, CT 06066
TICKET NETWORK/PRESIDENT/CEO

   CAPPIELLO, DAVID J
    VIA COMMITTEE TO ELECT DAVID CAPPIELLO FOR CONGRESS
  03/07/2008 1000.00 28990797841

Total Contributions:    11775.00

Brian Lockhart