MONROE, CT — Tony Scott, of Monroe, a Republican candidate for the Connecticut General Assembly’s vacant 112th District seat, sent out a campaign mailer with the intent of making it easier for supporters who cannot get to the polls on April 13 to vote by absentee ballot.
The mailer contained an application form and an inner envelope with the address for the Monroe Town Clerk. However, due to a printing error, the government address was also next to the return address for the Scott Campaign on the outer envelope.
In a post on his campaign’s Facebook page on March 18, Scott explained what happened.
“There was a printing error on the outside envelope that included the Town Clerk’s address in the return address placement,” Scott wrote. “The Town Clerk’s office did not endorse nor was affiliated with this mailing. I apologize for the printing error and any confusion it may have caused.”
On Sunday, Donald and Susan Koneff, a husband and wife in Monroe who are Democrats, submitted a Letter to the Editor to The Monroe Sun, supporting Scott’s opponent, Democrat Nick Kapoor, and using the mistake with Scott’s mailer to accuse Scott of running a misleading campaign.
“Enough is enough. The Monroe Republican Party and Scott campaign are running a partisan and misleading campaign,” the Koneffs wrote. “The Scott campaign sent out their first mailer to make it look like it came from a local government office supporting his candidacy — a false representation to the people of Monroe and Newtown. In addition, the Scott campaign continues to place signs on town and state property despite local and state statutes that prohibit such acts.”
The couple did not cite the specific sign locations they say violate local and state statutes and Scott said he has no idea what they are talking about.
As of Thursday morning, Joshua Foley, an attorney with the State Elections Enforcement Commission, said no complaints have been filed against Scott.
Below is the Koneffs’ letter in its entirety, as well as Scott’s Facebook post:
To the Editor:
Enough is enough. The Monroe Republican Party and Scott campaign are running a partisan and misleading campaign. The Scott campaign sent out their first mailer to make it look like it came from a local government office supporting his candidacy — a false representation to the people of Monroe and Newtown. In addition, the Scott campaign continues to place signs on town and state property despite local and state statutes that prohibit such acts.
Furthermore, Scott’s campaign continues to claim things that just aren’t true. For example, Tony Scott claims that Legislative Democrats have “shut down public hearings.”
False. Public hearings have been occurring virtually at the State Capitol since the beginning of session and thousands of Connecticut residents have testified.
Second, Tony Scott claims that “hearings [are held] behind closed doors.”
False. All public hearings, committee meetings, and votes of legislators have been held in the public and all of those meetings are archived and available for public view on YouTube and www.ct-n.com.
Third, Tony Scott claims the state legislature “convene[s] for voting only in rare moments.”
False. All legislators must be in the Capitol or in the Legislative Office Building to vote on final passage of bills and this has happened day-after-day during the session. It seems that Tony Scott doesn’t know what’s going on at the Capitol and is completely uninformed about how our state government runs. How are we supposed to put our trust in someone who doesn’t even know the basics?
Nick Kapoor, on the other hand, has worked across the aisle to get things done in Monroe on the Town Council and Board of Education, as well as serving on a state level commission, and he will continue to do that in the State House. Our district has the opportunity to elect a true representative of the people – someone who will continue to represent all of his constituents as Nick has done over the past decade here in Monroe. Nick is ready for this job – his qualifications in the public and private sector position him to jump into the work of the legislature mid-session. Nick will provide a seat at the table for Newtown and Monroe like we haven’t had in 40 years. It is time for a change in the 112th. Vote for truth, integrity and experience. Vote Nick Kapoor on April 13th by absentee ballot or at the polls.
Sincerely,
Sue and Don Koneff
Monroe
Tony Scott’s Facebook post
My campaign recently sent out a letter with an Absentee Ballot Application enclosed to some residents in Monroe/Newtown. There was a printing error on the outside envelope that included the Town Clerk’s address in the return address placement. The Town Clerk’s office did not endorse nor was affiliated with this mailing. I apologize for the printing error and any confusion it may have caused.
off their rocker , fell out of their tree!!
is this seriously happening in our town ?
the Koneff’s have a right to their opinion, skewed and arbitrary, as i see it .
what say we concern ourselves with more serious issues ?
politics has been corrupt since the beginning of time. it was designed by the elite to govern the masses.
however , not all politicians are corrupt.
they do all, however, promise the same promises .
lets leave the “flat earth ” theories out of monroe . let the voters decide .
if the Koneff’s feel Mr. Scott had a clandestine agenda, let them believe it .
it’s , thanks to folks like them, that i’m neither a democrat or republican BUT … i will be voting for Mr. Scott thanks to the Koneff’s likely incorrect assumptions and achieved dullness.
vote for who you want to vote for based on your own opinion.
stop trying to convert us all to your beliefs .if your candidate wins , i will not cry and tantrum. i will not fight against . i will, as a reasonable member of the human race, accept it and hope for the best.
if your candidate fails , i will not say i told you so . i will not demean you . i would hope it would open communication for us all .
if my candidate wins… mr. and mrs. koneff…… i venture to guess you will do the exact opposite .. you will tantrum and weep. you will fight against it and you WILL certainly not accept your candidates loss with grace and support the winner . there-in lies the rub.
the Koneff’s are correct …enough is enough ..and its about time somebody told them . im surely tired of the droning whine ….
Printing errors can perhaps happen, but more interesting in this letter seems to be the disingenuous comments made by Mr. Scott concerning meetings and legislative procedures.
Comments are welcome, but all commenters should use their full names and make their points without personal attacks.