Woman at heart of roll-your-own controversy says knows nothing of Donovan scandal

In the final days of the 2012 legislative session Traci Scalzi was a familiar face inside the Capitol in Hartford.

Scalzi, owner of roll-you-own cigarette shops in Norwalk and Orange, was personally lobbying any legislator who’d listen to kill a proposal that would increase the taxes and fees paid by her and around 15 similar tobacco stores in Connecticut.

Compared with all of the other business taking place in the General Assembly this year, it was a pretty minor bill that recieved some coverage from the media, including our Hearst newspapers.

Now the legislation is at the heart of an alleged scandal involving the finance director for state House Speaker Chris Donovan’s, D-Meriden, Congressional bid. 

Robert Braddock Jr., 33, of Meriden, is accused of conspiring with others to take conduit campaign contributions, which are made by one person in the name of another person, federal authorities said in a news release. Those contributions allegedly came from folks interested in killing the roll-your-own bill.

Reached this afternoon Scalzi was shocked. She said she knew nothing about the matter.

“I’m appalled somebody would even think of doing something like that. I really don’t know who, why or if it’s even true, in fact,” Scalzi said. “Everything I do is by the book. I’m upset this even came about. I’ve been working really hard to try and save my store.”

Scalzi said she did attempt to contact Donovan to urge him to oppose the legislation but never heard back from the Speaker.

Brian Lockhart