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State Rep. Michael DiMassa resigns from General Assembly after federal charges that he stole more than $600,000 in COVID relief funds
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Oct 25, 2021
State Rep. Michael DiMassa, a West Haven Democrat, resigned from the state legislature Monday af
State Rep. Michael DiMassa, the West Haven Democrat who was arrested on federal charges last week in a still-unfolding probe of the alleged theft of more than $600,000 in federal COVID relief funds, resigned Monday from the state legislature.
DiMassa, 30, submitted an official letter of resignation to the Secretary of the State’s office, said Gabe Rosenberg, a spokesman for the office. No resignations are official until the proper paperwork is filed with the state’s chief elections official.
State legislators had expected DiMassa to resign as early as last week.
DiMassa had also resigned from his city job at West Haven City Hall in connection with the theft of more than $630,000 in federal money that had been earmarked in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.
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DiMassa is accused of of stealing more than $600,000 in federal COVID relief money by billing the city of West Haven, where he also worked as an aide to the city council, for pandemic-related consulting services that federal officials said he never performed.
Federal prosecutors and FBI agents say that a portion of the alleged thefts appear to correspond with DiMassa’s purchase of tens of thousands of dollars in gambling chips at the Mohegan Sun casino. At the time, he was one of three city officials authorized to oversee emergency pandemic spending.
“The allegations against Mike DiMassa are serious and very troubling. If the allegations are true, he has not only broken the law but also betrayed the public trust,” Gov. Ned Lamont said in a statement. “He had no choice but to resign. The citizens of West Haven and all of Connecticut deserve honest government.”
In a joint statement, House Speaker Matt Ritter of Hartford and Majority Leader Jason Rojas of East Hartford called the resignation “the right move for his constituents and the state.”
“He broke faith with the people of West Haven and can no longer serve as their trusted voice at the State Capitol,” they said.
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A six-page FBI affidavit outlined multiple deposits to a consulting firm run by DiMassa, and then cash withdrawals under the $10,000 threshold that invites scrutiny by the Internal Revenue Service. DiMassa made multiple withdrawals of $9,800. The affidavit also showed that he purchased tens of thousands of dollars in gambling chips at the Mohegan Sun casino.
“Michael DiMassa did the right thing by resigning from office,” said Connecticut state Democratic Party chairwoman Nancy DiNardo. “The allegations against him are beyond troubling, and the voters of West Haven deserve to be represented by someone who recognizes the differences between right and wrong.”
Soon after DiMassa’s arrest, state Senate Republican leaders called on Lamont to initiate a statewide audit of all COVID-19 funds. They said that all 169 cities and towns should be audited to restore public confidence that the federal money is being used for proper expenses. They called upon Lamont’s budget office to oversee the audits of the federal money.