DEC. 23, 2011: Assist. Majority Leader Joe Aresimowicz calls and informs Harry “Ray” Soucy that he enjoyed the cigar. Soucy tells Aresimowicz that Chris Donovan received $10,000 in relation to the smoke shop bill, seemingly using coded language to disguise the fact that he is discussing a dollar amount.
Aresimowicz responds by saying, “Oh. Oh, see that’s nice.” In so doing, he appears to acknowledge that Donovan has received a bribe, because there wouldn’t be another obvious reason for Soucy to be speaking in code if the “10 pictures” were legally donated.
Rather than ending the conversation and perhaps contacting authorities about a possible bribe, Aresimowicz then asks Soucy to pressure his opponent, Rep. Jeffrey Berger, to drop out of the race for House Majority Leader. Failure to report a bribe is a Class A Misdemeanor in Connecticut.
TRANSCRIPT:
HRS: Fucking day late and a dollar short as usual.
JA: I’m looking for my mistress; can you help me find my mistress?
HRS: Uh, well, I suggest you do it sober.
JA: (Laughs) What the hell is going on over in Cheshire buddy?
HRS: With what?
JA: Oh and I’m giving you news?
HRS: What are you taking about?
JA: Did you do work today?
HRS: Yeah.
JA: Are you at work now?
HRS: Yeah. I’m working overtime right now, why what’s up? What happened?
JA: I-I, I heard a rumor
HRS: Yeah
JA: And I don’t know, and I can’t verify it’s truth and maybe just a urban legend that some Correctional Officer got herself in boat load of trouble like the State Police were there investigating and everything
HRS: Yeah, it could be a very good possibility.
JA: Something to the effect of her husband’s mistress came to the house last night and she killed her and stuffed her in the trunk of the car.
HRS: I-I don’t know nothing about that one
JA: Alright.
HRS: Hum, I that, that would have definitely been big news
JA: That’s what I thought so it may be just urban legend.
HRS: Yeah, that would be, that would be like somebody thinking that their uh State House of Representative’s plate would get him out ot a OWl?
JA: That’s my, you know something, sad part is, he never left where he was. He turned the car on to stay warm. As he slept it off.
HRS: Yeah. Once you’re in the car with the keys in the ignition.
JA: Yeah, I know. We all know that, but its still.
HRS: Yeah. It’s a fucked up, it’s a fucked up cop who did it. I tell you that.
JA: Yep. Yep.
HRS: What town was it?
JA: Bristol.
HRS: Yeah, they’re not e-, Bris- Bristol’s not even AFSCME.
JA: No. You know. !-I-lit’s just fucked up. Whatever, I mean.
HRS: I-I put a call in to him, told him to call me and he didn’t call be back. I was going to tell him I got him, fucking not to worry that I got him a good job in the kitchen.
JA: Oh, that would be tunny.
HRS: Yeah
JA: Yeah, he’s upset he’s getting blistered with phone calls.
HRS: Yep.
JA: You know, so what else is going on? How’s things?
HRS: Ah, same shit different day.
JA: Yeah
HRS: Yeah
JA: Hey that was a good cigar, man.
HRS: You liked that, huh.
JA: It was nice.
HRS: Yeah.
JA: I like, I like an occasional cigar and that was nice.
HRS: It’s rumored that I have connections.
JA: Really. It’s funny. You talked to me about that shit and the very next day it’s in the paper.
HRS: (Laughs)
JA: What the fuck is that, man?
HRS: Hey.
JA: Hey, we don’t care. We just want our tax money.
HRS: There you go. You get more tax money the way it is, than fucking taxing, making them manufacturers, cause then not only do they not open up anymore shops, they close down what the fuck they got.
JA: Yep.
HRS: Cause there’s no money in it then.
JA: I know.
HRS: But, ah, alle- allegedly, you know, you heard the saying a picture is worth a thousand words?
JA: Yep.
HRS: Ah, allegedly, ah, the guy running in the 5th District got ten pictures.
JA: Ten pictures?
HRS: Yeah. You know, a picture is worth a thousand words.
JA: Yeah.
HRS: And he got ten, Pictures!
JA: Oh. Oh, see that’s nice.
HRS: You know so, not to do anything.
JA: Yeah.
HRS: Which is easier than doing something.
JA: Yeah.
HRS: And that’s what I explained to them.
JA: Yeah. Yep I understand that.
HRS: Yep. If they, it’s got to come out of commerce anyway, because this is a short session, correct?
JA: That’s what?
HRS: It’s a short session this year.
JA: Correct.
HRS: So, it’s got to come out of committee it can’t come off of –
JA: Individuals.
HRS: Anybody. Right.
JA: Yup.
HRS: So, it would probably end up trying to come out of commerce or revenue, correct?
JA: Um, I don’t know because if they consider a revenue item then any legislator can do it, if it’s money.
HRS: Well, if they’re going to change the law to make em a manufacturer.
JA: Yeah. It would be tough.
HRS: Yeah.
JA: I’d probably, I’d probably have to, if it came out of one, I’d definitely have to send it to the other.
HRS: Yeah, but. You know who’s in charge of commerce.
JA: The Berger mister, mister Berger.
HRS: Right. Who definitely does not want me on his ass anymore?
JA: Well, good. Then tell him to drop out of the majority leader’s race so your buddy can get the job.
HRS: He’s already approached me on that and wanted support. I says I can’t do that. He goes well you know, we go – uh no, no. I says yeah, no we don’t go back a long way Jeff, we go back a short way and that’s only because you got tired of me busting your balls.
JA: Yeah.
HRS: I says bottom line is A to Z. I says I cannot do anything, nor would I do anything.
JA: Yeah.
HRS: And I says, you know. Not only do we go back, but don’t forget, where does he work.
JA: Yeah.
HRS: I says he’s one of us.
JA: Yeah, so.
HRS: I already had that conversation with him.
JA: Yeah.
HRS: His ego’s too big to drop out.
JA: I know. I still like him.
HRS: Oh, yeah. And you know what, he’ll work with you, once you win.
JA: Yep.
HRS: He’s not going to have a choice in the matter. (Laugh)
JA: No he won’t. So, alright my brother
HRS: Alrighty.
HRS: Yeah, I was just calling to see what was up with the Zekester, you know.
JA: Yeah, yeah. Well you have yourself a Merry Christmas
HRS: You too!
JA: Enjoy yourself and we’ll see you after New Year probably.
HRS: Alright my brother
JA: Alright pal, we’ll see you.
HRS: Yeah
JA: Bye
Transcript and recording were both provided as evidence by federal prosecutors in the trial of Robert Braddock Jr.
