Tom Connolly’s Fraud Case

We at the North Greenbush Pipeline always enjoy politicos pointing fingers at people alleging misconduct when they themselves have a track record in this area. You might say they are possessed of an advanced degree in Fraudology.

Tuesday, Independence Chair Tom Connolly got a relative to sign a statement he himself wrote that accused political opponents of fraud by placing a name on a petition for an elective office without getting the consent of the potential candidate. The fraud claimed in the affidavit was actually composed by Connolly and marketed to the news media with much hype.

In realty no fraud at all, just poor communication, but hell that’s no fun in Connolly’s world of politics. So we took a look back at the colorful career of Tom Connolly which has chapter after chapter of fraud and deceit on his way up the political ladder to a Senate job thanks to Joe Bruno and his installment by Bruno as his personal Chair of the Rensselaer County Independence Party.

The first Chapter written on Connolly’s escapades goes back to his days as a Democrat. Tom needed a job and bugged people in the party until he got himself a job in Troy as a Purchasing Agent in 1986, a Civil Service position. He managed to get the job by falsifying a job application checking, YES to the question regarding graduating from a 4 year college when in fact he had not. He stated on the application he had received a B.S. degree from Manhattan College graduating in 1980. The Troy Record reported the story on 3/24/94 and also added that a college official whose father’s name was coincidentally, Tom Connolly, could not remember anyone working at the college by that name as Connolly also claimed to the Record. So Tom managed to get a job he did not qualify for by lying, thereby screwing someone who did qualify out of the job. Now that sounds more like a case of fraud to the Pipeline.

Then of course there’s the great Picture Caper from 1988-9 in which Tom “borrowed” a couple of bicentennial prints from City Hall and gave them as gifts to his mother, now a “reformed Democrat” and the sitting County District Attorney. Well who else could you better impress by a gift of stolen property, right?
On January 19, 1989, City Comptroller Joseph Mazerello notified Connolly of the disciplinary charges against him for taking the pictures. The penalty included a 30 day unpaid suspension, staggered over 5 months, and restitution by returning the goodies.

Connolly signed the form admitting “…I am fully familiar with my rights, …admit to the charges herein and accept the penalty so stated…” This one strikes us as going a bit beyond mere fraud.

Then of course there was his final attempt at getting a Democratic job he didn’t deserve over a far more qualified female. That was in 1996 when he nearly got appointed county Commissioner of Jurors. The person who held the deputy commissioner’s job for more than a decade was to stand aside and let Tom take the top spot. The furor from other Democrats and Republicans alike was loud, causing Times Union Columnist Dan Lynch to investigate in a June 2, 1996 article. Lynch talked to Troy Personnel Director Al Spain, sound familiar? Lynch was trying to confirm Connolly’s birthday because State DMV records showed but one Thomas S. Connolly in their entire state database and he was born in 1958. Spain said he’d get back to Lynch, but when he didn’t call, Lynch did and got stonewalled by Spain.

Lynch eventually confirmed the birth date elsewhere and verified Connolly had a drunk driving conviction and no drivers license which was a bit odd since he’d been driving all over the place. Just 4 months later, Connolly got stopped again in Brunswick by State Police for DWAI and was issued a ticket. His license had just been restored in June after the Lynch article ran. He was on probation with the license at the time of the October arrest.

He never got the Jury Commissioner appointment. He eventually left the Democrats to join the Republicans and in June of 1999, he landed a job in the State Senate thanks to Senator Joe. From there, he changed parties to Independence and was later installed as the GOP’s Chairman of the taken over Independence Party.

Anyone seeking Mr. Connolly’s endorsement should not mention this resume. In case you are wondering who Connolly endorsed in North Greenbush, we’re too happy to tell you Mark Evers, Supervisor, Lou Desso and Al Spain, Council, his sister, Kathryn Connolly, Clerk, Kyran Devery Receiver of Taxes and developer extraordinaire, Mike Carey for Highway Superintendent. Don’t hold your breath waiting for this crew to run that ad stating, “Endorsed by Tom Connolly”. We doubt they’re that void of common sense.

Late Financial Disclosure Count:

Today is Day 11 for the North Greenbush Democratic and Conservative Committee violations of State Election Law requiring the filing of a Financial Disclosure Report due July 15, 2007. Laws apparently don’t apply to the “reformed” democrats under Jeff Spain and his Treasurer, Tax Collector Kyran Devery. Nor under Michael Casale and his Treasurer, J. David Wos.