Rhetoric Gets Heated Between Gristina, Katz

Tensions are running high in the Republican primary race for New York's 94th assembly district, with incumbent Steve Katz (R-Mohegan Lake) and challenger Dario Gristina (R-Putnam Valley) accusing each other of unfair, personal attacks.

On Tuesday, the Westchester Fair Campaign Practices Committee gathered to hear a complaint lodged by Katz against Gristina. He claims that several moves by the challenger's campaign were false, including an allegation from Gristina that "the personal attacks and rumor mills have begun," literature from Gristina that claims Katz (unattributed) has the "worst attendence and voting record in the legislature," that he has a D+ voting record, and that Gristina is falsely claiming he has bullied by top GOP brass.

At the hearing, held in Hartsdale, Gristina claimed that it is Katz who is making the character attacks, and that pointing this out is justified. He cited a March 8 Daily News article, in which Katz is quoting as saying "The news of the last 48 hours regarding Dario Gristina should give everyone a jolt of reality. His criminal past reveals a man of reprehensible character and has no place representing our district as an Assemblyman..."

The paper reported in March that Gristina was arrested in 1998 for allegedly soliciting a prostitute. Gristina pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, which is a non-criminal violation, and noted the fact that it's not a crime when he talked with the committee.

Gristina also claims that Katz's wife, Nicole Katz, made a July 19 Facebook post claiming that he bankrupted two companies, stiffed creditors and took $400,000 for himself. A screen shot purported to be of the post was presented; the post in question could not be found as of publication.

Gristina stated that his company filed for bankruptcy, a Chapter 11 reorganization, because of unfair financial treatment by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, who he had a business dealing with. This resulted in the company having to lay off employees, he claimed.

Gristina also stated that he has received mailers already that bash Katz on attendence and voting record. He stated that the D+ claim was not first raised by him, and that Katz missed, according to non-related literature, nine session days in his initial three months as assemblyman.

“I received many of these just like every Republican, Conservative in the district," he said to the bipartisan committee.

He added: “I did not hear Katz complain or bring any sort of allegations against the individuals that published these mailers.”

An attorney representing Katz disputed the voting allegation, presenting a NYPIRG list of top 11 legislators with the worst attendence records. Katz was not on it.

Katz was not present at the hearing.

Committee members questioned Gristina on the wording of the voting literature, both his and third-party material previously sent out.

Robert Kirkwood, a committee member and former New Castle Supervisor GOP candidate, questioned the attribution for the mailer Gristina described getting about Katz's record.

The literature displayed logos for LoHud.com, which is the online section of The Journal News, and The Poughkeepsie Journal.

“This is sort of like quoting another source of another source," Kirkwood replied.

Katz's attorney asked whether Gristina had independently verified the other claim.

“We did our homework and we verified that in our opinion, in the opinion of my campaign, that is a accurate statement," Gristina replied.

Conversation also turned to the semantics of Gristina's literature on using the word "worst" for voting record. Mark Williams, one of his officials at the meeting stated that it technically never said that Katz with the worst record.

Milton Hoffman, a committee member, then read the literature.

“It says ‘What do you do when you have the worst attendance and voting record in the New York Assembly? You attack your opponent. For Steve Katz, it’s Albany as usual.’”

Bruce Yablon, a committee member and chair of Bedford's Democratic Party, revisted the allegation of nine misses in Katz's first three months and asked for a comparson to other legislators.

After more dialogue, Gristina admitted that the choice of worst was not "happiest."

In an interview, Williams reiterated Gristina's argument that Katz had poor attendence, and felt that his absence from the hearing was indicative of his behavior.

When discussion turned to Gristina's assertion that top Republican brass bullied him and tried to force a withdrawal, the challenger did not want to name names, but stated that he had a witness who would back him up.

“I am only telling you that that was the case," Gristina said to the committee.

When the meeting ended, the committee then chose to go into deliberation. Rulings on the complaints could come as early as Wednesday.

The 94th district includes towns in northern Westchester and Putnam counties. The primary is Thursday, Sept. 13.