Hampden County Sheriff candidate Nick Cocchi has moved swiftly to distance himself from the controversial Francis G. Keough III, after emails surfaced showing Keough was involved in at least one strategy meeting for Cocchi and other aspects of his campaign.
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Hampden County Sheriff candidate Nick Cocchi has moved swiftly to distance himself from the controversial Francis G. Keough III, after emails surfaced showing Keough was involved in at least one strategy meeting for Cocchi and other aspects of his campaign.
Tainted by his criminal past, Keough continually crops up in political campaigns and politically-charged job searches. But elected officials are resistant to publicly embrace the former Springfield City Council president and Keough appears resigned to be marginalized.
In 2007, Keough was sentenced to three years in federal prison in connection with various scams he hatched while executive director of Friends of the Homeless in Springfield. He pleaded guilty to pilfering televisions and mattresses; using the homeless, shelter staff and contractors to build a waterfront vacation home in Rhode Island; and running a no-show job scam at the taxpayer-funded agency, among other accusations.
Keough has either implanted himself at or was invited to (depending on whom you ask) the center of campaigns for political offices, bids to approve digital billboards in Springfield and most recently a messy attempt to replace East Longmeadow's police chief. In that instance, East Longmeadow's Selectmen Chairman Paul Federici has accused Keough of promising to create a job in exchange for Federici's support for interim Town Administrator Gregory Neffinger and police chief prospect Daniel O'Brien, a former police captain in West Springfield.
That search was suspended.
Emails obtained by The Republican show Keough attended a "Chicopee Organizational Meeting" for Cocchi's campaign on March 11 held at the home of retired Chicopee Treasurer Ernie LaFlamme, one of the lions of that city's politics. Meeting minutes show 19 people were in attendance including Keough, Cocchi and his top advisors including campaign manager John Evon.
Recaps in the meeting minutes include the stuff of day-to-day campaigns: Cocchi's campaign calendar, his bio, a contact list, "palm cards" with talking points of sheriff's duties and news of an upcoming Knights of Columbus spaghetti supper.
"Thanks also to Frank - we welcome your feedback and support with your prior campaign experience. The same pertains to Sue and Ernie ...The Cocchi Team thanks everyone for the attendance and continued support, especially the LaFlamme's (sic)," the minutes, drafted by Chicopee resident Lisa Prost, concludes.
Additional emails generated as recently as mid-February indicate the Cocchi team was so enamored of Keough's clients' signs (including Hampden County Superior Court Clerk Laura Gentile's, Springfield School Committee Member Calvin McFadden's and West Springfield Town Councilor Daniel O'Brien's) they just had to have them for themselves, according to Cocchi campaign officials.
There was much back and forth between Keough, Evon and Bob Scalise of ILS Business Services in Agawam about 100 12-feet by 18-feet signs at a rate of $525, plus an additional four-feet by eight-feet sign. A Jan. 21 email signed by Cocchi's paid consultant, Anthony Cignoli, reads: "Frank - cannot thank you enough."
Cignoli said they never ended up ordering the signs.
For his part, Cocchi was too busy to return a call on Monday from a reporter inquiring about Keough's role in his campaign but offered a lengthy written response. The statement read, in part:
"I have tangentially known Mr. Keough for years in his capacity as a youth hockey trainer and coach. I had never discussed politics with him or had a personal relationship with him on any level other than just seeing him at the hockey rink. Certainly I knew of his past transgressions. I also am aware of the work he has done since then, mentoring children, his coaching and his position at the Sabis (International Charter) school.
In January of this year, I went to a meeting with Clerk of Courts Laura Gentile at her home to seek her endorsement for my race for Sheriff. Ms. Gentile had invited Mr. Keough to the same meeting as her advisor and to be her counsel.
A few days later, Sheriff Mike Ashe told me that Mr. Keough had expressed an interest to him to help as a volunteer for the Cocchi for Sheriff campaign. Keough also attended an open-invite Chicopee Coordinators meeting. I am clear that I communicated to my team that I saw no role for him in this campaign as being appropriate. While we appreciated his personal support as a resident, like we would any other resident of Hampden County, he could not be involved in the campaign."
Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe held his 37th annual clambake at the Springfield Elks Lodge 61 in Springfield in July 2014. Here is candidate for Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi, right, with Ashe. (DAVE ROBACK / THE REPUBLICAN)
Cocchi is an assistant superintendent at the Hampden County House of Corrections and widely regarded as Ashe's sanctioned successor. Also running are Democrats former Springfield Mayor and Governor's Councilor Michael Albano; retired Connecticut corrections official Jack Griffin; and independent candidate James Gill, who also is an assistant deputy superintendent at the Ludlow jail. Springfield City Councilor Thomas M. Ashe is shortly expected to jump in the race as an additional Democratic candidate.
Albano has run an unrelenting and somewhat snarky campaign with a strong social media presence (including a recent House of Cards parody) and frequent email blasts about his stances on policy and gut shots to his opponents - well, actually to Ashe, who isn't even an opponent.
Incidentally, the race has often appeared a joust between Albano and Ashe. The outgoing sheriff has been at the helm of the jail and its related programs for more than 40 years. He has been a political heavyweight for nearly as long.
During a recent editorial board meeting at The Republican, Ashe questioned who Albano's prospective hires may include given that his former mayoral chief of staff went to prison for tax evasion.
Still other members of his administration were sentenced to prison for various fraudulent schemes; Albano himself emerged unscathed.
"He lost that trust, particularly in terms of who are the people you're going to place in these jobs?" Ashe said. "I'm very proud of the staff. After all is said and done as sheriff, the one thing that I have really concentrated on is hiring good people."
When asked about his encouraging Keough to join Cocchi's circle of advisors and volunteers, Ashe cited his friendship with Keough's late father and Keough.
"Frank was the playground supervisor when my kids were growing up. I've had a 40-year-relationship with him and he's still a friend of the family ... he called and talked to me about volunteering," Ashe said, bristling when asked whether familial ties affected his opinion about ex-convicts. "Come on ... I've been helping people with issues all my life. He did wrong; but he's done his time ... you called and asked me and I've told you."
Keough - who has had a rough week in light of the East Longmeadow debate over the police chief - at once said he maintains little interest in politics anymore but added that he'd offer his advice to any candidate who asked.
"I know all the candidates. I do not have an active role with any of the candidates for sheriff," Keough said. "I know you're dying to put me in politics, but it's just not what I do anymore."
Cocchi went on to say that in light of the mini-scandal in East Longmeadow, he was even less inclined to accept Keough into the fold.
"I have dedicated my life to hopefully enabling second chances in people that our society rightfully sets aside. Unfortunately, the recent allegations against Mr. Keough for influence peddling as part of the East Longmeadow Police Chief search were enough to further ensure that there could be absolutely no role for him, even as a volunteer in my campaign. While those allegations are yet to be proven, our campaign cannot indulge even the slightest hint of impropriety. The position of Sheriff must be beyond reproach and I am committed to make sure that this campaign continues with the utmost transparency and integrity," his statement reads.
Federici has said he contacted the state Attorney General's office regarding Keough's alleged job overtures and was contacted by the FBI. Keough emphatically denied having the conversation.
Cocchi also cried dirty politics when the emails emerged.
"For a few days now, Attorney Shawn Allyn has been texting members of my team copies of correspondence intimating that Frank Keough has been part of our team. Frank Keough has never been a paid consultant or advisor to the Cocchi campaign," he said.
A campaign volunteer for Cocchi provided a relatively one-sided text exchange showing Allyn taunting him a few days ago.
"Wow your running a campaign with a felon," a March 12 message and those from subsequent days read. "Hanging out with Frank Keough too lol ... U and that creeper r in for a rude awakening ... Are you this stupid ... You are f***ed."
Albano ran Allyn's unsuccessful campaign for Hampden District Attorney last year. Allyn and Albano remain allies, with Allyn acting as a pro bono lawyer for residents in two neighborhoods who have resisted the siting of a punitive addiction treatment center run by the sheriff's department.
Allyn shrugged off the accusations.
"They're just deflecting. Who cares what I said about Frank? He was involved advising Cocchi campaign- period, caught red-handed. A convicted felon help run your sheriff campaign? That's bad," Allyn said.
Albano said he will decline comment "for the time being."