East Haven Democratic Chair: GOP Chair Should Resign Over Mailer

EAST HAVEN, CT - Democratic Town Chairman Marc Conte has issued a new statement saying Republican Town Chairman and 99th District State Rep. candidate Robert Parente should resign in the aftermath of a controversial mailer sent out that subbed out a photo of James Albis' father, Michael with a photo of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.

James Albis and Parente will face off this coming Tuesday in the November 6th election for the 99th District seat.

Here is what Conte had to say:

"East Haven is a town with a complex political scene. Many voters split their ticket. They vote for the person rather than just down the party line. We have our share of drama, but one thing that has been true up until yesterday is that we keep peoples’ families out of the political fray.

"Bob Parente changed that yesterday with a mailer sent out by his campaign - with his approval - which uses a private family photo from James Albis’s wedding day. It is a photo of James’s father, Michael Albis, pinning the boutineer on James’s jacket on his wedding day.

"That photo that Bob Parente downloaded and doctored to slam James Albis, with false information no less, was of a once-in-a-lifetime moment between a father and his son on one of the best days of their life.

"Putting aside the fact that using a professional wedding photo and doctoring it without permission is a breach of copyright law, this is simply a matter of human decency and responsibility. Bob Parente and his campaign team claim that they “didn’t know” they were using a wedding photo.

"But, it is their job to know what they are putting out in their campaign literature, as every single ad from the campaign must be “Paid for by Bob Parente for State Representative” and “Approved by Bob Parente.” Either they are lying and knew it was a wedding photograph and used it anyway, or didn’t do their job to know exactly what they were sending out to mislead East Haven voters.

"Then, just this (Wednesday) morning, we were notified that Change Connecticut, a Republican Super PAC that is using outside money to send negative campaign advertisements about Democratic candidates, is targeting James Albis right here in East Haven.

"The Albis Family has had enough this week. They have always gone above the fray in politics and deserve our respect. Bob’s mailer, and this dark money coming in to East Haven, are disgusting displays of negative politics at its worst against a family who has done so much for our community for generations.

"Bob Parente has shown through his choices that he is not the kind of leader that East Haveners should respect or follow. Many prominent town Republicans have privately contacted James to let him know they do not support this type of dirty political tactic, but I am coming forward publicly to call on Bob Parente to resign as the Republican Town Committee Chair, and ask Change Connecticut to retract whatever negativity they were planning to send into our community.

"Let’s keep civility in East Haven and make it clear that we will fight about issues and budgets and the actions of the elected officials, but not come after their families in any way."

Marc Conte, Sr.