Ex-Conn. Sen. Pleads Guilty in Bribe Case

AP ^ | 9/20/5 | MATT APUZZO

[SmithL]

Bridgeport -- In the latest in a string of corruption cases in Connecticut, a former state senator pleaded guilty Tuesday to felony charges of receiving a bribe, mail fraud and tax evasion.

Sen. Ernest Newton II acknowledged in federal court that he accepted a $5,000 bribe in exchange for helping the director of a job training agency secure a $100,000 grant.

As part of a plea agreement, Newton also admitted filing false tax returns and diverting $40,000 in campaign contributions for personal use over five years.

Asked as he left court what he had done with the money, Newton said, "I don't know nothing about that." Reminded that he had just pleaded guilty, he said, "I didn't buy a new house, a new car, nothing like that."

Newton, 49, will remain free until his sentencing Dec. 19. Newton faces a maximum of 35 years in prison, but prosecutors have said they will ask for less time because he accepted responsibility.

Last month, Warren K. Godbolt, executive director of the nonprofit Progressive Training Associates in Bridgeport, pleaded guilty to paying the bribe.

Newton announced his resignation last week and submitted it Monday. Gov. M. Jodi Rell has scheduled a special election for Nov. 14 to fill Newton's Senate seat.

[SmithL]

State Senator Ernest E. Newton II (D-Bridgeport) was elected to the State Senate in the 23rd District at a Special Election on April 8, 2003. The election was held following the death of State Senator Alvin W. Penn on February 14, 2003.

After being sworn in to the State Senate in 2003, Ernest Newton was appointed by Senator Kevin Sullivan to serve as the Deputy President Pro Tempore, the third-highest leadership position in the Senate.

Ernest E. Newton II was born in Fort-bel-Voir, Virginia and moved to Bridgeport while in school. He graduated from Warren Harding High School in Bridgeport and, in 1978, graduated from Winston-Salem University with a degree in music education. He then taught in the Bridgeport school system for five years.

In 1981, he ran for and won a seat on the Bridgeport City Council, becoming the youngest (25) and first black person to ever hold the position as council president. He would hold that position for four years and become one of the city’s strongest and most fervent voices.

In 1989, he was elected to the State House of Representatives, and he has since been re-elected eight times. While there he has worked his way up through the ranks by serving on numerous committees, being a loyal voice for the betterment of Bridgeport, and helping House Leadership to get key legislation passed. He has served as chairman of the Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee as well as on numerous other committees. From 1995 to 1996, he served as assistant majority leader in the House of Representatives, became majority whip in 1997, moved on to be deputy majority leader, and then became deputy speaker, making him one of the highest ranking House members.

Ernie Newton was chairman of the legislative Black and Puerto Rican Caucus in Connecticut from 1991 to 1992. He has been instrumental in getting Bridgeport vital education funding, creating better job opportunities for urban residents, and in securing the city funding for key projects such as the Opportunities Industrial Center (OIC), Harbor Place, the Ballpark at Harbor Yards, and Bridgeport’s new sports and entertainment arena.

Ernie Newton has received a number of awards for his hard work, including:

• National Black Caucus of State Legislators’ Legislator of the Year

• Connecticut Chapter of the NAACP’s Clarence Mitchell Award

• Outstanding Achievement as Leader of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus

• NAACP Community Service Award

• Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Bridgeport Service Award

• Prince Hall Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star Outstanding Service Award

• Groove Phi Groove Outstanding Political Achievement Award

• TGBOIC Project Saga Sponsorship Award

He has also been honored by Project Y.E.S.S., the YMCA Ralphola Taylor Community Center, Who’s Who In Government Service, Care Around the Clock, the African American Family Forum, the Black&Puerto Rican Caucus, and the Prayer Tabernacle.

He continues to serve on many community board and committees, and has received a number of awards. He is a member of the N.A.A.C.P. Bridgeport Chapter, the Prince Hall Masons, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and the Mount Airy Baptist Church.

Ernie Newton is married to Pamela Newton, and they have three sons, Ernest III, Chad and Enrico, and a daughter, Kayla.

[F14 Pilot]

oh

[Towed_Jumper]

As this article does not mention this illustrious public servant's party affiliation, I have to assume he's a DemocRAT....correct?

[Road Warrior ‘04]

Somehow his party affiliation isn't mentioned in the AP article.

[ncountylee]

Yep, he's a democrat, nice ear ring though.

[SmithL]

I noticed that the story didn't mention party affiliation. I had to use the way-back machine to find the page that I used for my comments in the original post.

[Flint]

Noooooo.....say it ain't so. Corruption by a Democrat? What is this world coming to?

[shooter223]

must be the vast right wing conspiricy.....Bush's fault

[Criminal Number 18F]

Looks like the AP's Matt A-puss-o never gets around to mentioning that this crook is a member of the political party that AP supports.

Not to mention, nobody points out that this individual is a member of a minority group.

Now, I assume that all state legislators in all states are crooks, but it does seem like the ones who get caught are disproportionally members of what is now the national minority (in the political sense) party, in addition to being disproportionately members of a minority (in the population sense) group.

But hey, who expects stringers for the AP to notice details like, say, the political affiliation of politicians... who would want to know that?

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[gunnedah]

THIS reeks of racism! Conn is a racist state. Call out the National Guard,NAACP,AARP and KKK and lets get to the bottom of this.

[skinkinthegrass]

State Senator Ernest E. Newton II (D-Bridgeport) was elected to the State Senate in the 23rd District at a Special Election on April 8, 2003

...figures...Democ'Rat = corruption :P

[Michael.SF.]

Newton also admitted ... diverting $40,000 in campaign contributions for personal use over five years.

Wow, $8,000 dollars a year? That is $22.00 a day, chump change. Kind of sounds like they were piling the charges on him just a tad. Every politician uses such funds for personal reasons.

Oh well, kick em when they are down, I guess.

[Nathan Zachary]

I wonder why they left the DEMOCRAT part out of the origional article? They never seem to miss when it's a Republican. hmmmm.

"Asked as he left court what he had done with the money, Newton said, "I don't know nothing about that." Reminded that he had just pleaded guilty, he said, "I didn't buy a new house, a new car, nothing like that."

Heavens no. He spent it on his mistress(es), Some hookers, treated slick Willy to a few special ladies he knew, Gambled a bit, got lucky and turned it into 80,000, and had one hell of a good time.

[Nathan Zachary]

"Wow, $8,000 dollars a year? That is $22.00 a day, chump change. Kind of sounds like they were piling the charges on him just a tad. Every politician uses such funds for personal reasons.

Oh well, kick em when they are down, I guess.

And you know this how? If you have proof, please expose it. You can bring every corrupt politician down, and be a hero.

Or maybe you are just defending this guy for some reason...

Who is "they" as in "they were just piling the charges on"?
I've never been able to put a name to the mysterious "they" organization.

[Michael.SF.]

Oh come on. Get real.

And you know this how? -- I am guessing you are referring to the personal use of donations by politicians for personal reasons. This is such a complex area that very few are ever prosecuted for this. It is simply to difficult to prove. Lunches, clothes, phone bills at hotels all during a political campaign. Who really itemizes a phone bill to separate a call home from a call to a donor? It is nitpicking to do so. That is just one quick example of the cross over between political funds and the personal use of them. We are talking about $140.00 a week, that is chump change.

If you have proof, please expose it. See above.

You can bring every corrupt politician down, and be a hero. Whistle blowers are rarely heroes.

Or maybe you are just defending this guy for some reason... -- What? Next your going to say I am a DU'er? They had the guy on bribery. Fine, he is a crook. But the rest of the charges were just added on by the prosecutors to make themselves look good.

Who is "they" as in "they were just piling the charges on"? I've never been able to put a name to the mysterious "they" organization. -- I would think a person as intelligent as you are would understand that in the US Justice system charges in a criminal case are filed by the District Attorney, Prosecutor or the Justice Department's attorney's. I should not have to add all that to a simple post, when "they" is clearly understood by most people.

[ExitPurgamentum]

Wow, $8,000 dollars a year? That is $22.00 a day, Why don''t you count by the second --- the nuber will be even smaller, as if can prove the point.

It appears that you view immorality and illegality of something depending on the damage done. Neither is correct: only the restituion depends on that.

Kind of sounds like they were piling the charges on him just a tad.

Somone steals $40,000 and only because it sound like "chump change" to you --- apparently wealthy person, since an average American family makes $45,000/year --- you think that THEY are piling charges?

Where does your simpathy compe from? Certainly not from prinicple. What comes to mind is for how long has he been doing the stealing, all the whhile chapmpioning the cause of the "people" against corportations and "blacks" against "whites?" (the last one seems to be suggested by the list of his awards)

Every politician uses such funds for personal reasons.

Firsty, it's not true: it's only your image of them (they are all liars, robbers, etc. aren't they?). Again and even if it were true, didn't your mother tell you that something does not become right only because other people do that?

I am really astonished. It's not that I disagree with your conclusions --- your thinking does not appear to involve morality. Oh well, kick em when they are down, I guess.

[ExitPurgamentum]

The last sentence in my last post was accidentally retained from yours. Please disregard it.

[ExitPurgamentum]

They had the guy on bribery. Fine, he is a crook. But the rest of the charges were just added on by the prosecutors to make themselves look good.

That is one possibility. A more obvious one is that they tried to show, and did indeed show, the pattern.

[Michael.SF.]

I welcome the discussion with you and will explain further, as I believe you have misunderstood my intentions. Some comments:

1) I am not rich. I am an Engineer, make decent money and put myself through college with the help of my wife. It took seven years, during which time I often worked full time in various jobs. I now make more then the average, but am far from "rich".

2) $40,000 is not chump change. But recall that Al Gore once said that a man who makes $50,000 a year for twenty years is a millionaire. In both cases, the money adds up. The $40,000 was over five years, which breaks down to $20.00 a day. No one prosecutes someone for that. But they may add those charges on, as you suggest, just to show a pattern. I call that "piling on".

3) I am all for prosecuting crooked politicians. I do believe that virtually all politicians are not completely clean. They all cheat to some extent, as exampled above in my earlier post. So why then do they go after some and not others? ........... Politics, pure and simple. They go after those they want, those who are not 'playing along'.

Why did all the hoopla on Delay and his travels go away? Not because he was guilty, but because he was going to take others down. So, his enemies backed off.

3) Morality? We are talking about politicians here. What does morality have to do with it? That is the cynical comment. In reality I do want our politicians to be clean, but reality tells me they are not. Some are, most are not.

4) Regarding this guy. I have never heard of him, and know nothing about him. I was simply making an observation about the realities of life in the political world. When you are going down, you will be stepped on and the politicians won't bat an eye.

[Towed_Jumper]

"Ernest E. Newton II ...graduated from Winston-Salem University with a degree in music education."

I bet he'll be singing some new songs and learning some new "tunes" in prison.