Jay S. Jacobs May 15Th, 2014 to the Members of the NYS Democratic
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Jay S. Jacobs May 15th, 2014 To the Members of the NYS Democratic State Committee and County Chairs: In a week, the State Committee meets to nominate our candidates for statewide office in the upcoming election. With a sense of real accomplishment and pride we will re-nominate Andrew Cuomo for Governor along with the rest of an outstanding statewide ticket. As we do so, we set forth to the voters of New York State the best of what we have to offer along with the best of what we, as a Party, represent. As I am sure that you know, for some time I have advocated that both the Republican AND Democratic candidates for Governor reject the nomination of the Independence Party. Without either candidate they are likely to fail in obtaining the 50,000 votes required to provide them with “permanent party status” for the next four years. The presumptive Republican candidate, though unlikely to ever receive their nomination, has already agreed to forego it. The Conservative Party and the Working Families Party have called on both can-didates to forgo the Independence line. The Progressive Caucus along with numerous good government groups has as well. In addition, the Editorial Boards of EVERY MAJOR DOWNSTATE NEWSPAPER agree: Newsday, the NY POST, DAILY NEWS and the New York Times have all called on both candidates for Governor to forgo the line. The Independence Party is a statewide problem. They stand for nothing. They are committed to ensuring a PERMANENT REPUBLICAN STATE SENATE strictly for their own patronage and other financial benefits. They are involved in a continuous pattern of notorious and corrupt activities from Suffolk County to Erie County. There is no argument or disagreement on one thing: they are a stain on the New York political system that needs to be removed. Their attraction for our candidates is the perceived votes that they bring. Our candidate for governor will win this year with or without the Independence line. Along with you, he has my support, regardless. The question is whether or not, once again in politics, expediency will trump doing what is right. We, as a Party, cannot be FOR ethics in government, AGAINST political corruption and turn a blind eye to the corrupt statewide activities of the entire leadership of the Independence Party. What we overlook, we condone. Associating OUR party’s line with theirs will be a stain upon us. It is certainly not the best of what WE stand for. I urge you to read the Report that is enclosed and copies of SOME of the editorials I have referenced. I look forward to seeing you on Long Island next week. Jay Jacobs Chairman, Nassau County Democratic Committee Member At Large, Democratic National Committee Former NYS Democratic Chairman Report on the Nefarious Activities of The NYS Independence Party Overview The NYS Independence Party exists neither to support nor oppose any issue, philosophy or political agenda. It exists solely for the benefit of its leadership. Its power is derived from its status as a “permanent” party with a line (Row E) on the election ballot in every major race in the state. It uses that line, and the desire of both Democratic and Republican candidates for its endorsement, to leverage its transactional agenda to enrich and empower its party’s leadership. In New York State, one of a handful that permits “fusion voting” which allows candidates for office to run on multiple lines, that “permanent” line status is granted every four years to any party that obtains at least 50,000 votes on its line and candidate for governor. The Party, run almost single-handedly by its Chairman, Frank MacKay, has a corrosive effect on the political and governing processes statewide. With candidates and elected officials, who are at times desperate in their attempts to gain access to the coveted Independence line on the ballot, wide latitude is given to party and leadership transgressions as some prosecutors and other high state officials appear to turn a “blind eye” to activities that would otherwise never be accepted. The corrupting influence of the Independence Party is not limited to one, relatively small period of time. Nor is it related to one or two questionable incidents. Neither are the nefarious activities limited to one or even two regions of our state. The activities that bring notoriety to the Independence Party are driven not by local leaders or individual candidates or elected officials. Rather, the gross transgressions of the Independence Party are being committed by its leadership, principally, Frank MacKay, on a statewide basis, continuously, over an extended period of years. The examples that follow give a taste of the activities that the Party and its leadership have been involved in: THE MORELAND COMMISSION Independence Party Vice Chair Tom Connolly misuse of funds- NY Post, December 4 2013, “Independent Party official ‘misused’ funds: report,” Daily News, March 4 2013, “Independence Party goes along with GOP scheme to dodge campaign finance laws, insiders agree” “One example drawn from the Commission’s investigation exemplifies the misuse of party housekeeping accounts. During the 2012 election, the Senate Republican Housekeeping Account made a series of three transfers to the Independence Party Housekeeping Account, totaling over $350,000. Invoices and communications produced to the Commission reveal that much of this money was then spent by the Independence Party on negative television advertisements, such as . one . attacking Democratic Senator Terry Gibson, who was then locked in a tight race with a Republican challenger. Emails further reveal extensive coordination between the two parties’ housekeeping accounts on attack mailers in several senate races. In one thread, Tom Connolly, the vice chairman of the Independence Party, commenting on a proof of an attack mailer portraying Democratic Senate candidate Joseph Addabbo as Dracula, asked “is this ours? Don’t know anything about it.” Scott Stevens, the Director of Operations for the Senate Republican housekeeping account replied, “It’s ours but they would like it to go through IDP [Independence Party].” To this, the Independence Party representative responded: “Absolutely ok to go with us.”” Moreland Commission report pages 38-39. Within days of the Republicans winning control of the Senate, in late 2012, Tom Connolly received a $75,000 a year position with the office of State Senator Philip Boyle (R-Islip). NY Post, March 10th, 2013 –“Indie Big Nabs Sweet New Gig. New York City John Haggerty uses $ 750,000 of Mayor Bloomberg’s money to buy a house with help from State Independence Party- NY Post, June 14 2010, “Haggerty charged with Swiping Bloomberg’s $ 1 Million,” NY Post, October 6 2011, “Independence Big Slaps Haggerty,” New York Daily News, March 20 2013, “Rep. Political Operative John Haggerty to begin prison sentence,” Haggerty, a Bloomberg campaign advisor, was in charge of a supposed Election Day poll-watching operation that Mayor Bloomberg had contracted for with the Independence Party for sending $ 1.2 million. Haggerty never spent any of the funds, and, in fact, received the bulk of the $ 750,000 months after the election. Four days later, Haggerty used $ 550,000 to buy his brother’s share of a $ 1.8 million house in Queens. Prosecutors successfully sued the Independence Party to freeze the unspent Bloomberg donation arguing that the Party should have known where that money was going. Tom Connolly, the Vice Chair, admitted that once the Mayor made the donation to the Party, he lost all control over the money’s use. Haggerty was sentenced to 1 1/3- 4 years in prison in 2011. Staten Island $ 10,000 loan given to MacKay’s wife for ballot position- New York Post, July 20 2010, “Indy Party chief in jam over wife loan,” Daily News, July 23 2010, “Probe opened by Staten Island of Independence Party’s $ 10G loan in exchange for City Council nod” John Tabacco, a candidate running for a Staten Island City Council seat, gave a $ 10,000 loan to Kristen MacKay’s, Frank MacKay’s wife, firm, Government Response Inc. (GRI). Days after the loan, to Tabacco’s surprise he received the endorsement from MacKay’s Independence Party. Manhattan Another $ 40,000 given to MacKay’s wife- NY Post, July 25 2010, “Party for Sale,” NY Post, July 19 2010, “Dem has an Indie pay pal” Manhattan Borough President and future City Comptroller Scott Stringer paid more than $ 40,000 in taxpayer funds to Kristin MacKay’s firm, GRI Inc. The article also notes that her firm was given a contract by the Republican State Senate Campaign Committee, just as the Independence Party, and husband Frank MacKay, were forming an alliance with the Republicans. Westchester County Controversies in Westchester County Independence Party- Newsday, June 5 2013, “A price for Independence nod in Westchester County,” Politics on the Hudson, November 29 2013, “Westchester Independence Party defends efforts to disenroll members” Westchester Chair and State Vice Chair Giulio Cavallo did not back Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino in his reelection bid because, according to Astorino, he did not give jobs to Party members that Cavallo recommended back in 2009. Cavallo and the county party initiated disenrollment proceedings against over 4,000 members for allegedly backing Astorino. Nassau County Gary Melius orders arrest of witness in case against third-party candidate- Newsday, October 8 2013, “Witness against Hardwick calls arrest intimidation” Melius, the owner of a hotel and catering facility known as Oheka Castle, is an unofficial leader of the Nassau Independence Party. He employs the Chair, Rick Bellando (father of Melius’ grandchildren) who was appointed to the position by MacKay at the request of Melius. Oheka Castle is listed as an Independence Party address and it is the location for many meetings, fundraisers and candidate screenings.