The chairman of the Manchester Republican Town Committee is challenging a ruling by the State Elections Enforcement Commission in court, alleging the SEEC improperly dismissed complaints of campaign finance violations during Manchester Mayor Jay Moran’s 2023 and 2025 campaigns. If successful, the case could upend twenty-five years of campaign finance practice.

Manchester GOP Chair Audra Ricci submitted two complaints to the SEEC alleging Moran’s campaign had received donations that exceeded the legal limits. Both complaints and the court appeal hinge on who is considered the “chief executive officer of Manchester” and whether Moran’s campaign could legally accept higher campaign contributions.

According to statute, mayoral campaigns have a contribution limit of $250 from individuals and $375 for committees, whereas the campaign for a chief executive officer of a municipality can accept up to $1,000 from an individual or $1,500 from a committee. According to the SEEC complaint and court documents, Moran’s 2023 and 2025 mayoral campaigns received donations in excess of the mayoral limitations.

According to the Manchester Town Charter, the town manager is considered the chief executive officer of the town. Manchester’s town manager is not elected, however, and is appointed by an elected town Board of Directors.

The SEEC dismissed the case in May 2026, with Commissioner Shannon Bergquist writing that the Commission has previously ruled that mayoral candidates are subject to the higher campaign contribution limit even when a town charter establishes the town manager as the chief executive officer. Bergquist cites a 2001 SEEC decision that ruled a Hartford mayoral campaign could receive higher donations because the City of Hartford charter does confer “some executive functions to the office of the mayor despite affirming the city manager as its chief executive officer.”

Bergquist also cites legislative history from 1986 that set the campaign contribution limits for mayors and chief executive officers, writing that the chair of the Government Administration and Elections Committee at the time, Sen. Fred Lovegrove, R-Fairfield, said that “chief executive officer” means mayor or first selectman.

“The Commission, consistent with this legislative history, has determined that only candidates for the office of mayor or first selectman are subject to the greater contribution limits, while other offices such as councilman at large or city council president are non-CEO offices of a municipality subject to the lower contribution limits,” the May 2026 ruling by Commissioner Shannon Bergquist states.

Ricci, through her attorney, Rep. Craig Fishbein, R-Wallingford, argues that the SEEC is exceeding its statutory authority through a “clearly erroneous” interpretation of statute that constitutes a “clearly unwarranted exercise of discretion,” according to the court complaint.

Reached for comment, Fishbein says this is a matter of the separation of powers and an agency within the executive branch “supplanting its own language for that of the legislature.”

“It is well settled law that the plain language of the statute controls,” Fishbein wrote in a statement to Inside Investigator. “Here though, we apparently have the Commission supplanting its own language in place of that of the legislature, ruling that the legislature didn’t say what it said, but instead meant to say something else. The only remedy to address this overreach is to seek help from the third branch of our government – the Judicial Branch, which we are doing through this case.”

Jay Moran ran uncontested for mayor in 2023 and won handily against a Republican candidate, Zach Reichelt, in 2025. 

Reached for comment, attorney Luke Reynolds, who represented both Moran and his campaign treasurer, Josh Howroyd, said Moran’s campaign followed the law as evidenced by the SEEC’s decision.

“In accordance with guidance from the State Elections Enforcement Commission, Mayor Moran raised campaign contributions in the amounts allowed by law. SEEC’s well-reasoned decision dismissed the complainant’s allegation and found there was ‘no evidence’ Mayor Moran’s candidate committee received any contributions exceeding the legally allowed limits,” Reynolds said in an emailed statement. “We hope that the court quickly affirms the decision rendered by the Commission.”

“This politically motivated attack is designed to generate headlines instead of discussing the real issues facing Manchester residents,” said Mike Pohl, chairman of the Manchester Democratic Town Committee. “These allegations are completely wrong and are based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the law. SEEC’s decision is based upon an identical prior ruling, and House debate when the law was enacted. It’s disappointing that the Attorney representing the complainant in this case is a current Republican member of the House and should know better.”

According to a social media post by the Manchester RTC and a statement by Audra Ricci, 2025 Manchester Republican Candidate Zach Reichelt “strictly adhered to campaign finance limits” of $250 for individuals and $375 for committees.

“It is disappointing to learn that Jay Moran, who has been in office for many years, would blatantly ignore campaign finance law,” Ricci said in the social media post. “Our Republican candidate, Zach Reichelt, has strictly adhered to campaign finance limits and is at a competitive disadvantage when his opponent ignores the law.”

A link to Ricci’s complaint outlined her contention that the Manchester mayor is not the chief executive officer under the town charter and wrote that Moran’s campaign committee “accepted eight (8) contributions in the total sum of $5,500 each of which exceeded the maximum contribution permitted from an individual to a candidate committee for municipal office and four (4) contributions from political committees in the total sum of $3,000 each of which exceeded the $375 maximum contribution permitted from a political committee for municipal office.”

The filings contained in the complaint show several campaign contributions of $500 and several contributions of $1,000, including a $1,000 donation by Sen. MD Rahman, D-Manchester, and second $1,000 donation by his wife. Committee contributions largely came from labor union committees, with a $1,500 contribution from the Connecticut Laborers Political League.

“If the Executive Branch believes a change in the law is necessary, it is free to request that change of the legislature, as many agencies annually do,” Fishbein said. “Until then, it is quite clear what the plain language of the statute says, and the result of that plain language. We are hopeful that the courts address this matter swiftly.”

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