Ruling Issued by Fair Campaign Group in Parker vs. Watson

The Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee issued the following ruling in the case of Catherine Parker vs. Susan Watson.

Both are running for Westchester County Legislator for District 7, which covers Rye, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, and parts of New Rochelle and Harrison. Parker is the incumbent who filed the complaints:

FINDINGS IN THE COMPLAINTS OF CATHERINE PARKER AGAINST SUSAN WATSON, CANDIDATES FOR WESTCHESTER COUNTY LEGISLATOR, DISTRICT 7

Hartsdale, NY (October 30, 2015) – The Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee met on October 29, 2015, to hear the complaints of Catherine Parker against Susan Watson, candidates for Westchester County Legislature, District 7. Ms. Parker was represented by Barry Caro, her campaign manager. Ms. Watson did not attend and did not send a representative.

COMPLAINT: Ms. Parker complained that Ms. Watson has run newspaper ads that claim, regarding the Federal housing settlement, that, “HUD has unlawfully withheld Federal support in its efforts to impose its vision of fairness in our community,” and that this statement is inaccurate. FINDING: UNFAIR. The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld HUD’s right to shift funds originally allocated to Westchester to other uses in a September 25, 2015 decision; thus the HUD action was not unlawful.

COMPLAINT: A mailer sent by the Republican Party on Ms. Watson’s behalf claims that, “Last year, Catherine Parker voted against the County budget, complaining that it did not raise taxes.” FINDING: UNFAIR. No evidence that Ms. Parker complained that the County budget did not raise taxes.

COMPLAINT: The same mailer claims that Catherine Parker says, “And this year the County needs to raise taxes,” and that, “we should be willing to pay more.” FINDING: UNFAIR. No evidence that Ms. Parker had said these things.

COMPLAINT: In the same mailer is the claim, “But Catherine Parker wants to RAISE taxes.” FINDING: UNFAIR. No evidence that Ms. Parker wished to raise taxes.

COMPLAINT: In a letter to the Rye City Review, Ms. Watson claims in response to a rhetorical question about who will benefit from a particular housing development in Rye, “Certainly not our local seniors.” FINDING: UNFAIR. The statement is inaccurate. Rye seniors, as well as other seniors, are eligible.

COMPLAINT: In a letter to the Rye City Review, Ms. Watson claims, “legislation to create new electric vehicle charging stations will cost “more than its proponents will admit.” NO FINDING. There was insufficient information to support a Finding.

COMPLAINT: In the same letter to the Rye City Review, Ms. Watson stated, “Commuters, local businesses and their customers will be inconvenienced by reductions in already scarce parking, while just 1% of vehicle owners park and recharge.” FINDING: UNFAIR. The statement is inaccurate; there will be no loss of parking spaces as the charging stations will be open to all cars.

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.