Connecticut Republican Party treasurer Gary Schaffrick was convicted on charges of risk of injury to a minor after being arrested in 2016 for allegedly bathing naked with a young boy
Republican congressional candidate Thomas Gilmer dropped out of a 2020 primary the night before the election after being arrested on charges related to a 2017 attack on a former girlfriend
Connecticut Republican Party Chairman J.R. Romano had been told months before Gilmer’s arrest about a video depicting the alleged attack, but the party still endorsed him at its nominating convention
Connecticut Republicans faced misconduct allegations within their own ranks in 2016 and 2020.
Child abuse
In March 2016, Gary Schaffrick, the treasurer of the Connecticut Republican Party, was arrested in Bristol on charges of risk of injury to a minor for allegedly bathing naked with a 5-year-old boy, according to FOX61. Schaffrick resigned from his position with the party and was later convicted and sentenced to 10 years incarceration with execution suspended, followed by five years of probation.
However, according to a 2016 report from the Connecticut Post, Schaffrick continued to “play a central role behind the scenes at the state GOP” even after he was accused of bathing naked with the young child.
In fact, he served as the Connecticut Republican Party’s representative at a national Republican planning meeting even after his arrest, the Post reported.
Domestic Violence Allegations
In May 2020, the Republican State Central Committee endorsed Thomas Gilmer as its nominee for Connecticut’s 2nd Congressional District. Connecticut Republican Party Chairman J.R. Romano had been told in April or May 2020 about a video depicting an alleged attack by Gilmer on a former girlfriend, according to the Hartford Courant.
On Aug. 10, 2020, Gilmer was arrested on charges of first-degree unlawful restraint and second-degree strangulation related to an assault of a former girlfriend in May 2017, according to NBC Connecticut. He dropped out of the race that night, the night before the Republican primary.
Gilmer was found guilty of first-degree unlawful restraint last May after entering a Nolo Contendere plea in New Britain Superior Court, according to the Judicial Branch website. He was sentenced to 5 years, execution suspended with three years conditional discharge.
By Kevin Coughlin
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