DeLuca attorney makes last-minute pitch for no expulsion
Craig Raabe's 10-page letter to the Bipartisan Committee of Review came on the eve of the panel's possible vote on whether to recommend the full Senate sanction the Republican. The options are expulsion, censure, reprimand or no sanction at all.
In his letter, Raabe said DeLuca's actions do not merit his expulsion. That, he said, would be unjust to both DeLuca and the voters who elected him.
"After having been served by Sen. DeLuca for 17 years, those constituents respect his character, his honor, his continuing ability to serve effectively," Raabe wrote. "Those constituents want Sen. DeLuca to be judged not by this incident, but by his lifetime of integrity and his years of dedicated service."
DeLuca was arrested and convicted last summer on a misdemeanor threatening charge, admitting he asked trash hauler James Galante to threaten his granddaughter's husband. DeLuca said he believed the man was physically abusing his granddaughter -- a charge both the granddaughter and her husband have denied.
DeLuca, 74, continues to stand by his abuse allegations. However, he has called his actions stupid, admitted he thought Galante was on the fringes of organized crime, has apologized and resigned as minority leader of the Senate. He continues to represent the 32nd Senatorial District, including his hometown of Woodbury.
He said he approached Galante only after Waterbury police refused to help, a charge the chief of the Waterbury police has repeatedly denied.
The Senate panel is expected to review a draft resolution outlining the findings of its investigation into DeLuca's actions. If the committee agrees upon the resolution, it is expected to vote on a recommendation to the full Senate. But if the senators need more time, they've tentatively scheduled another meeting for Thursday.
The committee faces a Nov. 11 deadline.
Last week, the three Democrats and three Republicans appeared to agree on the basics of the committee's findings. The list includes DeLuca's guilty plea last summer to a misdemeanor threatening charge, his admission that he initially lied to the FBI, his failure to report a $5,000 bribe attempt from an undercover FBI agent, his offer to help Galante politically, and his reluctance to provide the panel with all information it requested.
Several senators said they believe DeLuca's alleged violation of the public trust should also be weighed in determining his punishment.
"I don't think this committee cannot talk about that or not consider it because we are all here because of trust that our constituents have placed in us and it's our duty to uphold that trust," said Sen. Andrea Stillman, D-Waterford.
In his letter, Raabe argued that DeLuca's conduct was about a family matter and not his elected office, making expulsion unwarranted.
"His motivation of protecting his granddaughter from physical, domestic abuse was a serious mitigating factor in the judicial process, it should be a serious mitigating factor here," Raabe said. "While the motivation does not excuse Sen. DeLuca's decision to seek Mr. Galante's assistance ... it offers a 'plausible rationale' for Sen. DeLuca's conduct."
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