State Senate Campaign Volunteer Admits Role in Scheme to Obtain Public Election Funds

Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that TINA MANUS, 42, of Stratford, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to a conspiracy offense related to her role in a scheme to obtain public funds for the 2018 Connecticut State Senate campaign of Dennis A. Bradley.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2018, Manus was a campaign volunteer for the Bradley campaign.  Between March and October 2018, Manus conspired with Bradley, his former campaign treasurer, Jessica Martinez, and others to defraud the Connecticut State Election Enforcement Commission (“SEEC”), the Citizens’ Election Fund, and the State of Connecticut by making misrepresentations concerning compliance with state election law and the requirements and restrictions of the Citizens’ Election Program (“CEP”), a voluntary public election-financing program under which candidates can apply to SEEC for grants to fund their primary and general election campaigns.

Manus pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

Manus, who has agreed to cooperate in the ongoing investigation of this matter, is released on a $150,000 bond pending sentencing.

On May 24, 2021, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Bradley and Martinez with offenses related to Bradley’s 2018 run for State Senate.  Each entered a plea of not guilty and is awaiting trial.  Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan N. Francis and David E. Novick.