Sen. Thomas Gaffey, a well-known Democratic lawmaker, will resign from his state Senate seat after announcing that he will plead guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor criminal counts in connection with a double-billing scandal.
The double-billing issue arose three years ago regarding multiple trips that Gaffey had taken as a legislator in which his political action committee had apparently paid for the costs. In some cases, the state - through the Office of Legislative Management - also reimbursed Gaffey, according to the investigation.
"Under the terms of the plea agreement, there is nothing to prevent me from continuing as the state senator from the 13th district,'' Gaffey said Monday in a statement. "My family, friends and community have already endured a process which has spanned three years. If I were to remain in office, they would inevitably have to endure an ongoing political controversy for years to come. I will not ask them to do so.''
A 17-page arrest warrant affidavit notes that much of the investigation was done by Charles Urso, a former veteran FBI agent who handled high-profile cases of public corruption before his retirement. He investigated Gaffey's case as the lead investigator for the State Elections Enforcement Commission.
The affidavit notes that Gaffey took multiple trips with his companion, Patty Murphy, who was a high-level figure in the Democratic town committee in Gaffey's hometown of Meriden. She was interviewed back in August 2008 by Urso and said that she had a relationship with Gaffey from late 2002 to September 2007.
Gaffey had initially asked her if she wanted to take a trip to San Francisco, which was the first trip in question.
"When Murphy told the senator that she could not afford the cost of the trip, he told her that the PAC would pay his share and that he would pay for her,'' the affidavit states. "That was the premise under which she operated and understood was taking place on their trips to San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Nashville, Tampa and twice to Washington, D.C. Ms. Murphy said that she did not attend any of the conference proceedings except to see Gaffey speak. She told Urso that there was no political purpose to her accompanying the Senator on the trips. She went as Senator Gaffey's companion, and they often had opportunities to do personal side-excursions, including a whale watch in Victoria during the Seattle trip.''
Several of the trips took place during the summer when the legislature is out of session, including the Seattle trip in August 2005 and the Salt Lake City trip in July 2004.