Fair Campaign Group Issues Post-Election Ruling in Rye Town Complaint

The Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee Friday released its post-election findings concerning complaints in the campaign for Rye Town Supervisor, findings in favor of Aldo V. Vitagliano, who lost the election to Gary Zuckerman.

Below is the committee’s release:

FINDINGS IN THE POST ELECTION COMPLAINT OF ALDO V. VITAGLIANO, CANDIDATE FOR RYE TOWN SUPERVISOR, AGAINST GARY ZUCKERMAN, CANDIDATE FOR RYE TOWN SUPERVISOR, THE RYE TOWN CAMPAIGN COALITION 2015 AND THE RYE TOWN CONSERVATIVE PARTY

Hartsdale, NY (November 13, 2015) – The Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee met on November 11, 2015, to hear the post election complaint of Aldo V. Vitagliano, candidate for Rye Town Supervisor, against Gary Zuckerman, candidate for Rye Town Supervisor, the Rye Town Campaign Coalition 2015, and the Rye Town Conservative Party, concerning issues that took place during the last week of the campaign. James Castro-Blanco accompanied Mr. Vitagliano. Stephen Meyers joined Mr. Zuckerman for the hearing.

COMPLAINT: Mr. Vitagliano complained that Mr. Zuckerman stated on more than one occasion, “Last year the schools alone were cheated out of almost $40,000 and the Villages several thousand more.”

FINDING: UNFAIR
The statement “Last year the schools alone were cheated out of almost $40,000” is inaccurate. The taxpayers, not the schools may have been impacted.

COMPLAINT: Mr. Vitagliano complained that Mr. Zuckerman’s campaign literature stated, “Fact: Since moving to Port Chester, Vitagliano has earned over $1 Million in fees and salary from political patronage jobs.”

FINDING: UNFAIR
There was no basis presented to justify this number. Mr. Zuckerman admitted that he had not substantiated the figure.

Committee Members: Victor J. Goldberg, [Chair], Miriam Cohen [Coordinator], Paul C. Atkinson, Elizabeth Bermel, Gisele Castro, Daniel S. Franklin, Jr., LaRuth Gray, Susan Guma, Lee Kinnally, Robert C. Kirkwood, Polly Kuhn, Philip M. Maley, Harry Phillips III, Joy Rosenzweig, Susan Schwarz, Evelyn M. Stock. Party representatives (ex officio): Republican Party, Democratic Party, Conservative Party, Working Families Party, Independence Party, Green Party, Reform Party

The purpose of the Westchester Fair Campaign Committee is to promote a climate in which candidates conduct honest and fair campaigns. The Committee encourages candidates to conduct campaigns openly and fairly, to discuss issues, to refrain from dishonest and defamatory attacks, and not to use campaign materials that distort the facts.

The Committee does not sit as a censor of political discussion nor as a body to enforce election law or make legal decisions. Its task is to accept written complaints about alleged unfair campaign practices and to determine whether the action complained about is indeed unfair.

Among other things, the Committee will consider to be unfair any campaign practice that is a misstatement of a material fact or that misleads the public.

The Committee has no power to compel anyone to stop doing what it has found to be unfair. If the Committee acts on a complaint, it will release its findings to inform the public. The Committee may choose not to consider a complaint; in that case, a hearing is not held and the parties to the complaint are notified.

Statement of Principles of the Committee, as stated in its Manual, is available at www.faircampaignpractices.org. The Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee believes that candidates should conduct their campaigns in accordance with the following principles:

✓ The candidate will conduct a campaign for public office openly and fairly. The candidate will discuss the issues and participate in fair debate with respect to her/his views and qualifications.

✓ The candidate will neither engage in nor be involved with unfair or misleading attacks upon the character of an opponent, nor will the candidate engage in invasions of personal privacy unrelated to fitness for office.

✓ The candidate will not participate in or condone an appeal to prejudice.

✓ The candidate will neither use nor be involved with the use of any campaign material or advertisements that misrepresent or distorts the facts.

✓ The candidate will clearly identify by name the source of all advertisements and campaign literature published and distributed.

✓ The candidate will not abuse the Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee process in order to obtain political advantage.

The candidate will publicly repudiate materials or actions from any individual or group that would violate the Statement of Principles.