Connecticut state Senator Dennis Bradley is facing federal charges

Connecticut state Senator Dennis A. Bradley, Jr. and his former campaign treasurer Jessica Martinez have each pled not guilty and been released on bond after being charged in connection with allegedly defrauding the state's program for publicly funding campaigns.

"The indictment alleges that Bradley, Martinez, and their co-conspirators violated CEP [Citizens' Election Program] rules by holding a March 15, 2018, campaign event at Dolphin's Cove restaurant in Bridgeport, then engaged in a scheme to trick SEEC [Connecticut State Election Enforcement Commission] into awarding his campaign undeserved CEP grants by making misrepresentations and omissions to disguise the nature of that event," according to the Justice Department.

"Bradley is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud, and Martinez is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five counts of wire fraud, one count of making a false statement to the FBI, and one count of making a false declaration before the grand jury," according to the press release.

State Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney has removed Bradley, a fellow Democratic lawmaker, from all committee assignments pending the outcome of the charges.

"Based on the current available information regarding Senator Bradley, I have taken a first step to protect the integrity of the State Senate," Looney said.