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Stan Twardy, attorney for Christopher Shays for Congress Campaign Committee, talks to the media outside federal courthouse, after the sentencing of Shay's campaign manager Michael Sohn, in downtown New Haven, Conn. on Tuesday September 21, 2010. Publication History:

The parallels are striking — two candidates named Chris running for Congress, a trusted lieutenant in their respective campaigns busted by the feds.

When the FBI arrested the finance director of House Speaker Chris Donovan’s congressional campaign Wednesday night, the scandal immediately spawned comparisons to Chris Shays’ last run for Congress in 2008.

Shays’ campaign manager Michael Sohn pleaded guilty to multiple counts of embezzling some $250,000 in political donations, which he spent on Red Sox tickets, a Times Square hotel, electronics at Best Buy and even a contribution to his synagogue.

Tom Swan, who Donovan brought on to rescue his campaign, announced this afternoon that the Meriden Democrat has hired lawyer Stanley Twardy Jr. to represent him.

If Twardy’s name sounds familiar, that’s because it is.

A member of Day Pitney law firm’s white collar defense and internal investigations unit who works out of Stamford, Twardy filled a similar capacity for Shays during the dark days after his 2008 defeat.

Makes one wonder whether Connecticut should replace DUI lawyer billboards with Twardy’s picture and his answering service number.

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Speaker of the House Christopher Donovan at the podium during the final hours of the Connecticut General Assembly in Hartford, Conn. on Wednesday May, 9, 2012.

We posed that question to Linda McMahon this morning during a campaign stop in Stamford.

The professional wrestling mogul and Republican Senate contender could have tried to spin the Chris Donovan scandal to her advantage.

But she didn’t, emphasizing that a federal investigation into Donovan’s fundraising operation is “still underway.”

“What’s more distressful for me it just continues to erode (the) confidence level in those who are either seeking office or are in government for the folks that are there,” McMahon told Hearst Connecticut Newspapers. “At time when approval ratings of Congress are so low, these kinds of things contribute negatively to that confidence level.”

McMahon, who was endorsed by Republicans at the state party convention last month over Christopher Shays but is still in a primary race against the former congressman, is comfortable to the umpteenth degree.

The former chief executive of WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) spent $50 million of her OWN money two years ago on her unsuccessful campaign, setting a new standard stratosphere for self-funded candidates in Connecticut.

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House Majority Leader Brendan Sharkey:

“I am shocked by the allegations contained in the Federal indictment. Sadly, they cast a shadow over the entire legislative process, and for that reason I am sure that Speaker Donovan will cooperate fully with the investigation. It is imperative that the investigation be thorough and completed as rapidly as possible.”

 Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Fairfield, said the charges require Donovan to act quickly to save his political skin.

 ”These are extraordinarily serious allegations and I think quite frankly they’re quite shocking. Obviously there is a federal investigation ongoing, but the speaker has to come out clearly and answer any all questions.”

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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.

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State Sen. Andrew Roraback, R-Goshen, the GOP’s nominee to run for the 5th Congressional District seat, this afternoon said he was “shocked and speechless” by the news surrounding Democrat Chris Donovan’s campaign for the same position.

 Roraback

Donovan of Meriden is retiring from the job of state House Speaker to run for Congress. Like Roraback, he recently secured his party’s nomination but faces an August primary.

Today federal authorities announced they have arrested Robert Braddock, Jr., Donovan’s campaign finance director, for conspiring to conceal thousands of dollars in contributions.

Donovan’s campaign has so far not responded to the arrest.

“It’s a very sad day. I’m shocked and speechless by the allegations,” Roraback said. “And if the allegations are true, we all have to wait to hear what Speaker Donovan has to say about them. There are only two things he can say. One, I was aware of this activity, which would be an extremely unsettling admission. Or two, I wasn’t aware of this activity, which is equally unsettling to the extent it speaks to the manner in which he’s conducting his campaign.”

The contributions were made, according to the feds, by some opponents of a bill that impacted roll-your-own cigarette shops and would have required them to pay cigarette taxes and other fees. Roraback noted he opposed the legislation and, as far as he knows, neither solicited nor recieved contributions from anyone involved.

The bill did not come up for a vote in the House or the Senate before the General Assembly adjourned May 9 but is supposed to be part of the budget implementer legislation lawmakers are scheduled to enact June 12.

“The speaker and I have agreed on virtually nothing in our years in the legislature but this news comes as a huge shock and disappointment,” Roraback said. “Obviously we all need to hear directly from the Speaker as there are so many questions that he needs to answer as the candidate.”

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Ex-State Rep. Chris Caruso, D-Bridgeport, is backing state Sen. Ed Gomes, D-Bridgeport, in the latter’s fight for his seat.

Gomes lost the local party’s endorsement to his predecessor, Ernest Newton II. Gomes and state Rep. Andres Ayala earned enough support to face Newton in a primary in August.

Caruso, who retired from the legislature last year to accept a job offer in Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy’s new administration, told me this evening Gomes is his man.

“I haven’t endorsed anyone formally or otherwise. I have talked to Ed Gomes and told Ed if he runs I would support him,” Caruso said.

Caruso’s choice puts him at further odds with Mayor Bill Finch, who is supporting Ayala over Gomes and over Newton.

Caruso and Finch faced off in a mayoral primary a few years back and Finch prevailed.

During the 2010 gubernatorial race, Caruso endorsed Malloy while Finch and the rest of Bridgeport’s Democratic leadership sided with Ned Lamont of Greenwich.

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Linda McMahon doesn’t do Busch Gardens.

The favorite to win the Aug. 14 GOP Senate primary is sending her regrets to Mitt Romney’s campaign, which invited McMahon to be a delegate at the Republican National Convention later that month in Tampa.

Why?

Not to be too presumptuous, but McMahon expects to have bigger fish to fry — and we’re not talking Florida grouper.

Team Linda confirmed that McMahon will forgo the conservative confab, which is scheduled for Aug. 27-30, to stick to the campaign trail in Connecticut.

“Linda will be showing her support for Governor Romney here at home in Connecticut that week by laying the groundwork for a win against Chris Murphy in November,” said Erin Isaac, a spokeswoman for McMahon.

In contrast, former Congressman Christopher Shays, who McMahon bested 2-to-1 during an endorsement session at the Connecticut GOP Convention May 18, accepted the invitation.

Shays will be one of 25 delegates from Connecticut, according to a roster released Tuesday by the state GOP.

State GOP Chairman Jerry Labriola Jr. says he can see the merits to both attending and skipping the convention.

On one hand, Labriola said the convention provides ample opportunities for a candidate to get national exposure.

At the same time, Labriola said putting forth the effort to meet with voters on the home-front is never a bad decision.

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Republican candidate, Chris Meek, right, talks with Woodbury resident Chris Ford. Steve Obstinik won the Fourth Congressional District nomination at the Connecticut Convention Center, Friday, May 18, 2012. Photo: Johnathon Henninger / Connecticut Post Freelance

The Goldman Sachs reunion in the 4th Congressional District race is off.

Stamford Republican Chris Meek, who finished a distant second to Steve Obsitnik for the GOP’s endorsement in the 4th CD but captured enough votes to force a primary, is abandoning his bid to challenge fellow Goldman alum Jim Himes in the November election.

In an interview with Hearst Connecticut Newspapers this morning, Meek revealed that he will NOT carry on with an Aug. 14 primary against Obsitnik.

“It’s best that I step out right now,” said Meek, 41, who “retired” from a career at Goldman to run for Congress.

Meek referenced the protracted and tempestuous GOP nominating race for president, expressing a reluctance to go down that path.

“As I take a step back and sort of look at the national landscape, we’re polarized too much right now,” Meek said. “I don’t want to be part of that process. I’ve always been someone who has focused on finding solutions, not being part of the problem.”

Meek grabbed 27 percent of the vote a week ago today at the state GOP convention in Hartford, well above the 15 percent needed to force a primary.

Obsitnik, a wireless consulting executive from Westport, won 73 percent of the vote in the 17-town district. 

“If it was 60/40, I would have maybe pursued it,” Meek said. ” I was very proud to have my hometown behind me as a delegation.”

Meek’s decision to bow out of the race clears the decks for Obsitnik to focus his resources, i.e. money, and energy on Himes, who is seeking a third term.

“I will be working with Steve and his team to help get his message out there,” Meek said.