After Forgery Charges For Former GOP Chair, New Chairman Chosen

EAST HAMPTON, NY — Just days after Amos Goodman, former East Hampton GOP party chair was arraigned on forgery charges, the East Hampton Republican Committee named Manny Vilar as the new chairman on Thursday.

Vilar’s unanimous support for leader by the executive committee kicks off a new chapter for the party, the GOP committee said in a release.

“President Dwight Eisenhower said, ‘The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.’ Like so many Republicans, Ike knew our party stands for transparency, integrity and honesty, supporting the sharing of ideas and having real debate on the issues facing our residents,” Vilar said. “Our candidates and officials will continue to fight for our families, small businesses and environment."

Vilar thanked the East Hampton committee members for their support, and the opportunity to bring fresh, new ideas to the party, the committee said. He vowed to build coalitions among voters from other parties that shared a concern for local balance in government and "being guided by the overriding purpose of putting the interests of the people of East Hampton first."

Suffolk County Chairman John Jay LaValle commented on the new chair: “Manny Vilar will bring tremendous energy and enthusiasm to the East Hampton Republican movement. I look forward to working with someone as talented as Manny.”

Vilar closed the meeting with President Roosevelt’s famous "Man in the Arena" speech: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

According to the East Hampton Star, the East Hampton Town Republican Committee asked for Goodman's resignation after learning of the investigation; he resigned in late November.

Four individuals were charged with forging signatures on nominating petitions during the 2018 election — some of which were from individuals who are deceased, Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini announced this week.

Those charged include two employees of the Suffolk County Board of Elections and two political party officials, in connection with the alleged forgery of more than 50 signatures on nominating petitions, Sini said.

"Through their alleged actions, the defendants corrupted the democratic process and violated the public's trust," Sini said. "This brazen scheme to get preferred candidates on the November 2018 ballot by any means necessary included the alleged filing of petitions with forged signatures, some of which included forged signatures of deceased individuals."

In addition, Sini said, one person charged "is alleged to have used his position as a member of the Suffolk County Board of Elections to deceive voters into signing petitions they might otherwise have declined to sign. This kind of conduct is unacceptable; if you abuse your position of public trust and attempt to disrupt the integrity of the election process, you will be brought to justice."

Goodman, 35, of East Hampton, former chairman of the East Hampton Town Republican Party, was charged with ten counts of second degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, a felony, and ten counts of first degree offering a false instrument for filing, a felony, Sini said.

Goodman is alleged to have submitted nominating petitions that contained at least 43 forgeries; the petitions were for Green Party judicial candidates, an Independence Party candidate for East Hampton Town council and a Republican Party candidate for East Hampton Town council, Sini said.

Goodman submitted a nominating petition containing the signature of a person who is deceased, Sini said.

William Mann, 60, of Cutchogue, a Board of Elections employee, was charged with second degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, a felony; first degree offering a false instrument for filing, a felony; and two counts of official misconduct, a misdemeanor, Sini said.

Mann is alleged to have submitted nominating petitions for Green Party judicial candidates containing three forged signatures, including one signature of a resident who is deceased, Sini said.

Gregory Dickerson, 55, of Mattituck, a Board of Elections employee, was charged with two counts of second degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, a felony, and two counts of first degree offering a false instrument for filing, a felony, Sini said.

Dickerson is alleged to have submitted two nominating petition forms for Green Party judicial candidates containing two forged signatures, Sini said.

Patricia Mansir, 72, of East Hampton, vice chairperson of the East Hampton Town Independence Party and former East Hampton Town councilwoman, was charged with four counts of second degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, a felony, and four counts of first degree offering a false instrument for filing, a felony, Sini said.

Mansir is alleged to have submitted nominating petitions for an Independence Party candidate for East Hampton Town council containing eight forged signatures, including one signature of a resident who is deceased, Sini said.

After receiving complaints from representatives of the Suffolk County Green Party, the East Hampton Town Republican Party and the East Hampton Town Independence Party, the District Attorney's Office's public integrity bureau launched a comprehensive investigation into the allegations, Sini said.

The investigation revealed evidence of alleged schemes in which the defendants knowingly possessed and submitted nominating petitions containing forged signatures, Sini said.

Mann was charged with official misconduct for allegedly falsely representing to voters that he was working in his official capacity as an employee of the Board of Elections to collect signatures on behalf of the Green Party, Sini said.

The investigation did not reveal evidence that any of the candidates were aware of or involved in the alleged schemes, Sini said.

Mann, Dickerson and Mansir were arraigned and released on their own recognizance; Goodman is expected to be arraigned on Dec. 5, Sini said.

If convicted of the top count, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of two and one-third to seven years in prison, Sini said.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Kevin Ward of the Public Integrity Bureau.

Patch photos courtesy East Hampton Town Republican Committee.