Ernie Newton wants to run city dump

Former state Sen. Ernie. Newton in Bridgeport, Conn. on Friday, April, 22, 2016. Former state Sen. Ernie. Newton in Bridgeport, Conn. on Friday, April, 22, 2016. Photo: Michael P. Mayko / Hearst Connecticut Media Buy photo Photo: Michael P. Mayko / Hearst Connecticut Media Image 1 of / 21 Caption Close Ernie Newton wants to run city dump 1 / 21 Back to Gallery

BRIDGEPORT — Ernie Newton had big plans to clean up Bridgeport — literally.

The ex-legislator who was jailed for corruption and is appealing an unrelated campaign finance fraud conviction, had recently turned his attention from politics to garbage.

Newton is senior vice-president of a local company that submitted a bid to manage Bridgeport’s dump on Asylum Street.

The company, East End Developers Inc., offered the lowest price of three contenders bidding for the job, which also included current dump manager Enviro and City Carting, according to city officials,

What kept Newton and his partners from being awarded the work was how Newton, who signed the bid documents, handled seven questions aimed at shedding light on contractors’ criminal history.

Newton indicated he did not have a criminal history when he checked off all the “no” boxes.

“From what I understand, had he answered ‘yes’ there wouldn’t have been a problem,” said John Ricci, head of the public facilities department, which includes the dump. “The city attorney .... made the determination it was something that gave a reason for disqualification. I don’t make that judgment.”

Ricci said the city is now considering rejecting all bids and running the dump internally, though he noted the contract could be rebid.

Newton said he was advised by his attorney that the questions did not apply to his particular convictions, which were related to public office rather than running a business.

The seven questions appear geared toward business persons, specifically referring to illegal activities involving public or private contracts and subcontracts, agreements, transactions, bids, proposals and joint ventures.

“If they (the city) would have called me, I would have told them,” Newton said. “Everybody knows I’m an ex-felon. If my lawyer would have said, ‘Ernie, mark the box ‘yes’ I would have done it. I’m not ashamed.”

Newton’s attorney, John Pinheiro, could not be reached for comment.

As the city and East End Developers figure out their next move — Newton did not rule out legal action — he and his allies are using the controversy to rally support behind stripping bidding documents of questions about criminal history.

The city several years ago eliminated questions about job candidates’ prior arrests, criminal charges or convictions from municipal employment applications. Newton said it is time to extend that prohibition to public contracting in Bridgeport.

“Even if we don’t get the (dump) contract, I want to make sure what happens to us never happens to another minority company in this city,” Newton said.

Second chance

According to public documents, East End Developers was registered with the Secretary of the State’s office in 2011.

Moises Prieto of Milford is the president and treasurer, Newton the second-in-charge and Deborah Thomas-Sims the junior vice-president and secretary.

Also involved, Newton said, is Chris Taylor, a demolition contractor who launched a long-shot bid for mayor last year by offering voters free laptop computers, basic cable, credit cards and bikes. Taylor is also a notary public and notarized East End’s bid response.

Newton said Prieto reached out to him because East End was interested in providing jobs to felons and thought Newton would be a good ambassador.

“He’s back and forth to Venezuela. He travels a lot,” Newton said. “So he asked me to come on.”

Newton’s statement that he was not trying to hide anything about his criminal record when he filled out the bid documents rings true, given the circumstances.

Newton’s cases were high profile.

His 17-year legislative career ended in 2005 when he was convicted on three federal charges of taking a $5,000 bribe to push through a $100,000 state grant for Progressive Training Associations Inc., diverting $40,682 in campaign contributions to himself and others, and failing to report the money on his income tax return.

He completed his prison term in August 2010, and waged two failed political comebacks.

Newton in March, 2015 was sentenced to six months in prison for three violations of campaign finance law. He is free on appeal and, in a sign of his continued influence, was recently appointed to the Connecticut Democratic State Central Committee.

And the current administration in City Hall is certainly familiar with Newton’s history. Newton, along with Ricci, City Attorney R. Christopher Meyer and others, were part of the campaign that returned ex-Mayor Joe Ganim to office last year following Ganim’s own corruption conviction in 2003.

As a black community leader with a criminal record, Newton was instrumental in helping to spread Ganim’s second-chance message in the East End and East Side neighborhoods.

Forgive and forget

Initially Ricci said the city would likely make some personnel changes within the public facilities department to run the dump internally, rather than hire an outside company.

But in a subsequent interview Wednesday, Ricci said he had spoken with Ganim and “we may look to rebid the entire package. That’s another option.”

Meanwhile City Councilwoman Eneida Martinez, at Newton’s urging, this week submitted a proposal to extend the city’s prohibition on including criminal history on job applications to municipal bidding.

“I’m not involved with the mess over ‘did he (Newton) check the boxes and was he honest,?’ ” Martinez said. “My concern is, let’s get rid of these boxes causing the problem.”

Ganim in a brief interview said that he supports the concept.

Newton said his problems with winning the contract are particularly frustrating given Ganim’s successful return to City Hall.

“If black people could forgive and vote for Joe Ganim, white folks should be able to forgive me,” Newton said. “I have a right to feed my family.”