CT Legislative Candidates Directed to Use FL Printer?
HARTFORD, CT—George Gallo, the state House Republicans' chief of staff here, resigned Thursday as federal investigators are looking into whether GOP legislative candidates were improperly directed to use a direct mail and printing company based in Florida.
The company, Clearwater, FL-based Direct Mail Systems, allegedly received upwards of $2 million from the candidates' campaigns since 2008, the Hartford Courant reported. Earlier this week, the FBI interviewed lawmakers who had paid for the services of Direct Mail Systems.
Quoting state financing campaign records, the newspaper reported that "scores" of Republican candidates—primarily for the state House of Representatives—used Direct Mail Systems to the tune of about $2 million in work during the past six years.
Gallo was involved in supervising several Republican legislative campaigns that used Direct Mail Systems. Since Gallo was mentioned as a "person of interest" in the investigation, he elected to step down from his $150,000-a-year job to avoid unwanted distractions to the caucus.
The Courant said that the FBI investigation has been in process for several weeks.
The paper reported that Direct Mail Systems CEO Mike Milligan did not return a call seeking comment on Thursday.