This investigative article quickly follows Jim Heaney's piece exposing Casey's taxpayer-funding campaigning.

Do readers consider such personal misconduct relevant to worthiness for higher political office?

I have been repeatedly prosecuted for exposing such public information about City "leaders". I was ultimately forced to leave town, thanks to a massive cover-up housing crimes (& massive perjury) committed by Independence Party Chair & BMHA Commissioner Charlei Flynn.

Departed BMHA ED Sharon West, Charlie Flynn, West's friend Judge Jeanette Ogden, Masiello, HUD Manager Banko, DA Clark & his felony prosecutor Michael McHale orchestrated the cover-up.

None of it was mentioned as Flynn, deposed by his own Independence Party leadership, ran for Mayor on the IP line.
The News was utterly silent about Flynn's much more serious crimes. And about the massive public corruption which supported him.

Why does the News care about misconduct of leaders now? Where were they when I needed them?

Dick Kern (safely in Mpls)

COPY:
http://buffalonews.com/editorial/200...sp?PFVer=Story

Thompson's past includes debt trouble

By JAMES HEANEY News Staff Reporter
1/29/2006

Creditors have taken legal action five times to recover debts owed by Antoine M. Thompson, a Common Council member and Mayor Byron W. Brown's choice to succeed him in the State Senate.
The legal actions involved $5,757 in debt. Two involved unpaid credit card balances, another a debt he shared with Common Council Member Brian C. Davis for production of campaign commercials. The remainder involved legal fees and telephone bills.

Three of the bad debts have taken place since Thompson joined the Common Council in 2001.

Thompson acknowledged the payment problems and said all have been resolved. He questioned how they were relevant.

"These issues are in the past and are of a personal nature," he said. "I want to talk about what I've done as a Council member, what I'll do as a senator."

Thompson succeeded Brown as representative of the Masten District and wants to do the same in the Senate.

Earlier this month, Thompson said he might challenge Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-Fairport, in a September primary unless Democratic Party leaders nominated him to run in the Feb. 28 special election for the 60th Senate District.

Brown subsequently endorsed Thompson's Senate candidacy, but the party leaders Tuesday nominated Delaware Council Member Marc A. Coppola.

Thompson considered seeking a minor party line in the special election, but now says he intends to sit out that election and run in the September primary for the State Senate. All Senate and Assembly seats come up for election this fall. "People are afraid of me running and they're trying to take it into the gutter," Thompson said.

Thompson's debt problems date to his college years.

New York Telephone filed a judgment against him in 1989 for $768 in unpaid bills, according to public records. Thompson said the bills were incurred by a relative and that he paid the bills to keep the person out of trouble.

In 1991, Sears filed a judgment seeking $1,456.

"I was in college, I paid it off," he said.

Creditors have taken legal action three times since Thompson took public office.

In April 2001, Capital One Bank filed a judgment seeking $1,786. Thompson said it involved unpaid credit card bills and that he paid the debt soon after, although public records obtained by The Buffalo News do not reflect that.

In January 2002, Martin McGee sued Thompson, Davis and their campaign treasurers in Small Claims Court, claiming they failed to pay him for work producing television commercials for their campaigns. The court ruled in favor of McGee and ordered the four to equally divide the $2,700 bill, plus $15 in court fees.

The four failed to pay McGee within the 35 days the court ordered. Two months later, McGee obtained income execution orders against Thompson and Davis. These orders are typically used to garnishee wages. Court records show the bill was paid six months later, in September 2002.

Thompson and Davis said they were unsure if their wages were garnished.

Thompson called the matter "a messy situation." Davis said the arrangement with McGee was made by a third party.

The court, however, ruled the candidates and their treasurers were responsible for the debt.

Public records also show that an attorney for the mother of Thompson's child filed a judgment against Thompson in June 2003 for $1,078. Records show the judgment was satisfied in May 2004.

Thompson said the money went to cover legal expenses incurred when the woman petitioned Erie County Family Court seeking an increase in child support.

Neither the woman nor her attorney could be reached for comment.


e-mail: jheaney@buffnews.com