Investigators looking into the distribution of COVID-era funding to nonprofits have questions about a relationship between Sen. Douglas McCrory and the head of a consulting firm that helped distribute some of those funds.

That’s just some of the information the FBI is seeking in a subpoena to the Department of Economic and Community Development and its Minority Business Initiative.

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NBC Connecticut obtained the subpoena, which was dated July 31 and gives the state until Aug. 19 to produce the requested documents.

NBC Connecticut also obtained thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation via a Freedom of Information Act request.

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The subpoena outlines eight specific requests, including:  

1. All documents concerning any grants, loans or funding from the recipient to any of the following entities: Blue Hills Civic Association Inc.; Girls For Technology Inc.; Upper Albany Neighborhood Collaborative, Inc.; Society of Human Engagement and Businesses Alignment, LLC; SHEBA, LLC; SHEBA Resource Center Inc.; SHEBA Consulting LLC; The Prosperity Foundation Inc.; The Legacy Foundation of Hartford Inc.; HEDCO Inc.; YMCA of Greater Hartford; and KTH Advisors LLC.
2. All communications between the recipient (including but not limited to current and former members of the Minority Business Initiative Advisory Council) and any of the following: Douglas McCrory; Sonserae CiceroHamlin; Vicki Gallon-Clark; Mary Young; Kevin T. Henry; Sabrina Tucker-Barrett; Anthony Barrett; Howard K. Hill; Greg Jones; Kim Hawkins; and Ira Revels.  
3.  All communications with Douglas McCrory with respect to Sonserae Cicero-Hamlin, Society of Human Engagement and Businesses Alignment, LLC, SHEBA, LLC, SHEBA Resource Center Inc., or SHEBA Consulting LLC.
4.  All documents concerning any personal or non-professional relationship between Douglas McCrory and Sonserae Cicero-Hamlin.
5.  All documents concerning any factual misrepresentation or omissions used to obtain or attempt to obtain grants, loans, or funding of which the recipient is aware.
6.  All documents concerning any violations of federal law of which the recipient is aware, including but not limited to violations of Title 18, United States Code, §§ 371 (conspiracy), 666 (bribery concerning programs receiving Federal funds), 1343 (wire fraud), 1346 (honest services wire fraud), 1349 (conspiracy), 1951 (interference with commerce by threat of economic harm or under color of official right), and 1956 (money laundering).
7. Documents such as organizational charts, reflecting current and former members of the Minority Business Initiative Advisory Council.
8. All agendas and minutes of Minority Business Initiative Advisory Council meetings. 

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A spokesman for McCrory (D-Hartford) said he has not been commenting on the investigation. Efforts to reach Cicero-Hamlin were unsuccessful.

Gov. Ned Lamont (D-Connecticut) told reporters last week that his office continues to cooperate with investigators.

“To the degree which the feds are involved, we’re working with them every day to make sure that no stone is unturned, so we can get to the bottom of this,” Lamont said.  

The documents obtained by NBC Connecticut mostly contain routine correspondence, including emails among Minority Business Initiative Advisory Board members about scheduling meetings.

But it also shows SHEBA, of which Cicero-Hamlin is founder and president, has received state funding.  

That includes a $300,000 grant from the MBI in 2022 to help administer a program giving COVID-era help to small businesses.