Lt. Governor Michael Fedele of Stamford, who is pursuing the Republican Party’s nomination for Governor, today officially announced his choice of Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton as a running mate. Boughton had also been looking to succeed the retiring Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell before abandoning his campaign to be part of Fedele’s ticket.

Boughton has proven to be a candidate with legs both in Danbury and in the current gubernatorial contest, but he is also a potentially controversial choice for the general election.

Boughton generated headlines in 2005 with a proposal to deputize state police as federal immigration agents – an idea that was shot down by the state’s Public Safety Commissioner.

But, more importantly, even as he promises to be “Mike’s full partner in managing the state,” Boughton and his administration continue to be embroiled in a federal civil lawsuit filed in 2007 by Yale Law School professors and students on behalf of eight day laborers arrested in Danbury.

In fact the Danbury mayor, according to Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, the New York law firm working with Yale on the case, is scheduled to be deposed at the end of June.

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Which brings me back to Fedele’s decision to choose Boughton. Part of Fedele’s allure as a candidate, both when he was tapped as Rell’s running mate in 2006 and during his current bid to succeed Rell, is his story – immigrant-turned-successful businessman/politician.

As the very first sentence of Fedele’s website reads, “Republican Mike Fedele has lived in Stamford since coming to Connecticut from Minturno, Italy with his parents and siblings when he was three years old.”

Fedele also mentions his Italian roots at the start of this campaign ad.

So when I learned Fedele had chosen Boughton, my first thought was not: “Wow, shrewd move heading into the GOP convention.” It was: “Huh. The proud immigrant who often talks about realizing the American dream is partnering with the mayor under fire for allegedly harassing illegal immigrants in his city.”

Whatever your opinion of how the state and federal government should deal with illegal immigrants, by tapping Boughton, Fedele has injected the issue into the Connecticut gubernatorial race. Not only is his running mate dealing with a lawsuit related to his current job, but it’s about a politically volatile topic.

Earlier today I e-mailed Fedele’s campaign a copy of the aforementioned lawsuit against Boughton. I asked if Fedele has “any concerns about the issues raised” and if his partnering with Boughton should be viewed as an endorsement of Danbury’s policies toward illegal immigrants?

Fedele responded: “I am a proud immigrant to America and a proud citizen and I believe legal immigration is one of the core underpinnings of America as a place of opportunity. However, I also believe that existing laws should be followed now, just as they were to be followed when my parents and I came to this country.”

Not, I’m certain, the end.