As If The IP Didn't Look Bad Enough

[mesue]

Judicial candidates are required to pay for Independence Party nominations
Filing with state shows party reviving practice of nominating Supreme Court candidates at a price
By Robert J. McCarthy NEWS POLITICAL REPORTER
Updated: 03/10/08 8:25 AM
Officials of the Erie County Independence Party apparently like to nominate their State Supreme Court candidates the old-fashioned way — they charge for it.
Records recently filed with the state Board of Elections show that the party has revived the discredited practice of billing judicial candidates for nominating convention “expenses.” It marks a throwback to the days when party chairmen required up to $7,500 from judicial hopefuls, only to funnel the funds back into headquarters accounts or the campaigns of favorite candidates.
Not only did the party charge $650 for its September convention, it asked the payment from only the three candidates who successfully won the line — State Supreme Court Justices Rose H. Sconiers, Frank Caruso and James H. Dillon. In addition, where much of the money went remains a mystery because Independence Party officials never reported it to the Board of Elections as required by law.
It all leaves state elections officials to declare that the local Independence tactics fail to pass “the smell test.”
“I’ve got to be honest: I have never heard of this,” said board spokesman Lee Daghlian. “It doesn’t sound kosher when candidates have to foot the bill — especially just the winners. It smacks of buying the votes.”
Daghlian said that he is not sure whether such practices are illegal but that they would be “unethical.”
At least one candidate found herself disgusted by the whole process.
Lynn A. Clarke, the confidential law clerk to Justice John A. Michalek and a State Supreme Court candidate last year, said an Independence Party representative called her shortly before the convention to require the $650, relaying that if she got the nomination, the party would keep her check. Otherwise, they would send it back. She refused.
“I would not participate in that type of arrangement because it didn’t seem to me like proper procedure,” Clarke said. “Consequently, I was denied participation because I would not pay the price of admission.”
In any event, she was not expected to gain the party’s backing, but she did note the contrast between the Independence Party and the Working Families Party, which nominated her with no money strings attached.
“No cost, no check, no money requested,” Clarke said. “I was honored to be in that type of process.”
Caruso was unavailable to comment, but both Sconiers and Dillon said they had no problem with paying the money.
Independence Party Chairman Anthony L. Orsini emphasized he was not involved in asking for the $650, explaining he learned of the charges only after Mary Rose Gaughan, a member of the party’s executive committee, told him.
He said Gaughan said the money financed the dinner that convention delegates enjoyed that night in Mangia Restarante & Cafe in Orchard Park.
He added that the party leadership all agreed that the charges were “the right thing to do.” But Orsini also said no formal votes were ever taken, because party infighting caused him to avoid convening a meeting that might challenge his chairmanship.
Campaign finance records indicate that the party paid $950 to Mangia on Sept. 27, but there is no record of what happened to the other $1,000. Gaughan said Orsini was more than aware of the plan to charge $650 because she and the chairman discussed it on the telephone before the convention.
“That’s a complete lie,” she said of Orsini’s disavowal of any knowledge.
But she defended the practice because convention delegates traveled from throughout Western New York. She said that it was her idea to charge a “minimal amount” to pay for dinner but acknowledged that the expenses and contributions should have been reported to the Board of Elections.
Party Treasurer Jan Harding Buffum, who is responsible for the records, did not return a phone call seeking comment.
The Buffalo News reported in a series of 2002 articles on the judicial-nominating process that Democratic and Republican chairmen regularly charged $7,500 for convention expenses that usually involved just coffee and doughnuts. But after the articles revealed how the chairmen used the payments to enrich party coffers, the practice ceased.
Erie County Democratic Chairman Leonard R. Lenihan ended the charges upon taking office in 2002, and his Republican counterpart, James P. Domagalski, has been outspoken in his opposition since he became chairman in 2006.
“We don’t charge candidates to come to a convention,” he said. “We would never think of doing that.”

[mesue]

For the record ...
I didn't stay for dinner and the drinks I had I paid for.

[Dvoakley]

I did stay for dinner. Orsini did not run the meeting. Mary Rose Gaughan did. She took checks. Tony never touched them. I don't understand who gave Bob McCarhy the story but he sure didn't follow up on it. What I want to know is when did Gaughn call the Judicial candidates and exactly what did she say. Did Tony know about the solicitation and if so when? What right did Gaughan have to solicit contributions. Who negotiated the checks ? Who paid the bill? I understand Clarke being po'd - she didn't get endorsed.

[RagnarThePirate]

I love that restaurant.
Great food and atmosphere.
May I suggest the lasagna?

[dragonslayer]

He's back from Florida - out of money no doubt- How about a fundraiser-For himself? Since he has no control over the executive board of erie county-He brings in Frank Mckay.What ever happened to the main platform of the Independence Party - Term Limits. These guys have no control - I think we will see IP primaries in Amherst and other area's.

[mesue]

He's back from Florida - out of money no doubt- How about a fundraiser-For himself? Since he has no control over the executive board of erie county-He brings in Frank Mckay.What ever happened to the main platform of the Independence Party - Term Limits. These guys have no control - I think we will see IP primaries in Amherst and other area's.

We have a lot of work ahead.

[kernwatch]

Illuzzi has long been close to IP Chair Tony Orsini (& to Orsini's predecessor, now-deposed IP Chair Charles Flynn). Indeed, Orsini once was a public partner in Illuzzi's pay-for-praise publishing endeavors.

Here is Illuzzi's latest defense of Orsini, complete with a photo of a horse's posterior:

April 16, 2008

PoliticsNY.Net: IP DISSIDENTS THE BUTT OF HYPOCRISY



The mentally challenged faction on the Erie County Independence Party Executive Board is ranting about picketing County Chairman Tony Orsini's fundraiser. Actually it is a State Committee fundraiser for Orsini.

Reportedly led by nut cases Mary Rose Gaughan, Vice Chairman Dennis Koziol, et al., they are pledging to deny party endorsements to those who cross their picket line and also to decline to carry their petitions. Besides Gaughan and Koziol, the group includes former Vice Chairman Sandy Rosenswie, Tony Mingarelli, Ricky Donovan, Lou Corrigan, Bob Gawell, Jim McMahon, and Marie Clark who works for the Gaughans, go figure.

Two problems: The State Committee under the rules make the endorsements for races that cross lines. So the "local control" argument is moot."

The most sickening, egregious component to this vacuous display is ALL with the exception of maybe one or two of these dissidents work for government in one capacity or another within the last year.



ALL have a family member (s) in most cases who owe their pay checks to the tax payer at one time or another, i.e. "We are all part of the same hypocrisy" & always include our families in that readers.

All, esp. Koziol, Gaughan's husband, Rosenswie & Donovan, earn their pay checks as a result of their affiliation with the IP party, an almost criminal abuse of the process. As a matter of fact Koziol has landed two maybe three jobs for his friends & family over the last year. Gaughan is always looking for a patronage spot; no one will hire her. She is crazy!

By the way these hacks give new meaning to the term "local control".

Empirically, i.e. based on the evidence, for these hacks the term translates into more leverage, i.e. blackmail, in landing jobs for family & friends. ###

[WNYresident]

The whole core group is embarassing including people like Mary Rose Gaughan and Orsini. Wasn't Mary Rose Gaughan involved in the core group when Orsini was EC chairman? If I'm wrong correct me.

Either way the complete core group needs to be flushed. It's an embarassment.

[mesue]

...Either way the complete core group needs to be flushed. It's an embarassment.

Thank you.
Except, we can't vote like people in to replace them. The IP, as a whole, needs to take a look at the direction it has taken, and needs to vote in a leader that will work to change this party and turn into that which it is supposed to be, Independent and not a watered down blend of watered down Demopublicans.

[WNYresident]

Could a new chairman banish all core leadership in the IP party and start fresh?

[mesue]

Could a new chairman banish all core leadership in the IP party and start fresh?

Probably not. Somepeople are put in place at the say of the leadership, and not by vote, so maybe it can be done. But, wouldn't that be just as underhanded as what we have now? Do we really want that? Wrong is wrong no matter who is in charge.

[FJB]

I received a phone call from those members who are picketing and they want my attendance. I also got a call from Orsini asking me to come to the fundraiser free of charge. This fight is getting pretty good. Hell, I'm being offered free food, I wonder what else will be offered before this over? LOL!!

[mesue]

So, are you going?

[WNYresident]

Probably not. Somepeople are put in place at the say of the leadership, and not by vote, so maybe it can be done. But, wouldn't that be just as underhanded as what we have now? Do we really want that? Wrong is wrong no matter who is in charge.

Why underhanded if you are allowed to pick?

If you were hired to manage a department and you were stuck with 3 assistants that were useless you'd have them replaced.

[WNYresident]

I received a phone call from those members who are picketing and they want my attendance. I also got a call from Orsini asking me to come to the fundraiser free of charge. This fight is getting pretty good. Hell, I'm being offered free food, I wonder what else will be offered before this over? LOL!!

Make a hand out and list all the issues that Orsini has had. Take photo's if possible also.