DeLuca testifies before Senate committee
The bipartisan panel is investigating DeLuca following his arrest and subsequent guilty plea in June on a misdemeanor charge of threatening. The committee has until next month to decide whether to recommend that the 17-year Senate veteran and former minority leader be either expelled from the Senate, censured, reprimanded or have take no action against him.
DeLuca, 74, told the committee he believed his granddaughter was being physically abused. DeLuca even provided photographs of what he said were her bruises.
Choking back tears at times, DeLuca tried to dismiss claims by federal authorities that he was friends with hauler James Galante. DeLuca said he turned to Galante out of desperation because Waterbury Police Chief Neil O'Leary would not intervene with his granddaughter's situation -- an accusation the chief denies.
DeLuca said he went to Galante because he knew he was "on the fringe of organized crime" and would know people who would persuade the granddaughter's husband to leave her alone.
"I knew he had a reputation as a tough individual," said DeLuca.
Ultimately, the threat was never carried out. DeLuca stepped down as minority leader but has remained steadfast that he will not resign from the Senate.
Galante was indicted last year along with 28 others on charges of participating in a scheme to thwart competition and drive up trash rates. He was indicted in June on additional charges of conspiring to commit arson and kidnapping by damaging a competitor's truck and kidnapping the driver at gunpoint in 1992.
Much of Monday's daylong hearing focused on whether DeLuca would testify under oath before the Bipartisan Committee of Review. Craig Raabe, the senator's attorney, surprised the six senators when he told them that DeLuca would provide a two-page sworn affidavit that included only basic facts surrounding his June guilty plea to a misdemeanor threatening charge.
But he said DeLuca would not give a statement or take questions under oath because of concerns that his words might be misconstrued by state or federal authorities, who could pursue new charges. He pointed to an FBI agent sitting in the hearing room as proof that federal authorities were watching the proceedings.
"Under oath or not, it's the truth," Raabe said.
That idea didn't sit well with the committee members, who said they believed it would create a bad precedent for future investigations if the panel bases its decision on unsworn testimony. DeLuca finally agreed to give his lengthy statement under oath.
He later answered questions from the senators, but not under oath. Raabe agreed he and DeLuca would examine a transcript of the senator's answers and decide whether DeLuca would swear an oath to their veracity. DeLuca is also expected to provide written answers under oath to the committee.
During his statement, DeLuca admitted to several mistakes, such as initially lying to the FBI about why he visited Galante. At the suggestion of an undercover federal agent, DeLuca told FBI officials that he was seeking a job for someone. But DeLuca said he later told the FBI the truth.
DeLuca said he also made a mistake in not reporting a $5,000 bribe that he refused from an undercover federal agent. But he reminded the panel he was not charged with any crimes in relation to those mistakes.
"If I had a corrupt relationship with anyone, the feds would have found it," he said.
DeLuca acknowledged he offered to help blunt any bills in the legislature that might harm the trash industry. But he said none came up and the offer was no different from helping any other citizen.
DeLuca also said he didn't know why the figure of 25,000 was written next to his name in a ledger owned by Galante. While Galante contributed to DeLuca's re-election campaign, the senator said he didn't recall receiving that much money. DeLuca said the names of other state politicians, Republicans and Democrats, also appeared on the ledger.
DeLuca said he also did not know about Galante allegedly bundling contributions to political action committees by giving money to straw donors to skirt contribution limits. Galante was charged last week with face three counts of illegal contributions to a political committee and three counts of corrupt practices.
And DeLuca dismissed claims by federal authorities that he and Galante were friends. DeLuca said they likely met no more than six times over the years.
"I consider Mr. Galante a friend through politics but not a close acquaintance," he said. "At no time did I abuse my elected office for Mr. Galante or anyone else."
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