Castro-Blanco Files Lawsuit Challenging Lesnick’s Independence Petitions

Jim Castro-Blanco

Council President Chuck Lesnick

Jim Castro-Blanco, the Republican candidate for Yonkers City Council President, has filed a lawsuit challenging the petitions submitted for Democrat Chuck Lesnick to appear on the Independence Party ballot.

Lesnick submitted 345, of which 241 are being challenged by Castro-Blanco who in his lawsuit claims that Lesnick’s petitions are ‘permeated with fraud’ which is a frequently used term in election law aimed at having the Judge throw out all of the petitions because of widespread invalid signatures.

Lesnick’s petitons are challenged for a variety of reasons, including that the signor is not a registered Indepenent, is a registered member of another party, the signature is not the same as the buff card signature, that the signature is a duplicate of another signature obtained by CB before Lesnick.

These are legitimate challenges that have a chance of being thrown out in court. Other less likely challenges include that the signature is illegible, there is no first or last name in the signature, the signature was printed and not signed.

It is difficult to weed out these two categories, but here’s our best shot

I-There are at least 130 good legal challenges to Lesnick’s Ind petitons, but this only gets Lesnick down to 215 signatures, and he need to keep 186.

II-Lesnick personally collected over 100 signatures and CB is challenging over 70 of the 100, most because they aren’t registered Ind and that they are registered to another party.

Lesnick, a Democrat, collected signatures for himself, which he is entitled to do as a notary. The rules for collecting as a notary are different, with the petition carrier required to ’swear in’ each signor and ask them if they are a registered Independent.

We will find out when the case will be heard in White Plains, and whether Lesnick plans on challenging Castro-Blancos petitions.

The kaos in the Ind party began when County Ind Chair Dr. Giulio Cavallo and Yonkers Ind Chair Dhyalma Vazquez, reversed course, having given Lesnick the Ind line for CCP months ago, but recently giving Castro-Blanco a Wilson Pakula, allowing him the right to ballot.

A review of Castro-Blanco’s petitions show that he was out collecting signatures weeks ago, which is a sign that Dr. Cavallo, was hedging his bet in this race for a while.

In a very close race, the Independence line can tip the balance to the winner. If Lesnick gets the Ind line, he is almost guaranteed victory in November. If Castro-Blanco gets the line we have a real race in November.

Jacono Taking Heat as Zehy Jereis Rejoins Yonkers GOP as a District Leader

right-Yonkers GOP Chair Jacono on the hot seat

Ladies and gentleman, the return and attempted rehabilitation of Zehy Jereis is complete. Rising Times has learned that Jereis is now a district leader for the Yonkers GOP.

Chairman John Jacono had to have signed off on the appointment of Jereis, who left Yonkers politics in disgrace, after serving as Yonkers GOP chairman for a few years. Jereis has been convicted of elections fraud and possession of a couple of pounds of marajuana  in his youth.

Mayor Phil Amicone led the call for Jereis to step down, to be replaced by Jacono, who while having brought stability and legitimacy back to the Yonkers GOP over the past 2 years, may have given it all back by allowing Jereis to return.

MANY, MANY YONKERS REPUBLICANS ARE BAFFLED BY THIS MOVE-”What the heck is Jacono thinking? He just let the wolf back into the hen house.”

Some are blaming the appointment of Jereis on Nick Spano, who together with brother Mike, are being blamed for everything but the rainy summer season in Westchester politics, with the cause being to pave the way for Mike to run for Mayor in 2011. Jacono and Spano are both in the Real Estate business together at the same company.

Rising times hears forces are already at work to remove Jacono as City GOP leader because of the Jereis debacle. This move also highlights the split in the Yonkers GOP between the forces loyal to the Mayor, and others loyal to Nick Spano.

One name being tossed out as a replacement to Jacono is former City Councilman Carlo Calvi. Calvi has been out of politics for a few years, but has been coming out of hibernation in recent months.

Jereis is also said to be working on the campaign of Sandy Annabi, who is running for county legislator against Jose Alvarado. But Annabi is a Democrat, and is once again being advised by Republican Zehy Jereis. Could this would also mean that Virginia Perez, who is running in partnership with Annabi for City Council 2nd District and Annabi’s old seat, is also seeking counsel from Zehy?

Let’s also remember that Jereis disappeared from Westchester for a year + to operate a car wash in Brooklyn. Massive speculation had Jereis taking a forced exile due to the Feds investigaiton of political corruption here in Westchester.

Winnicki Loses Working Families Party Line

 

City Council candidate Ted Winnicki, running in the 6th Council District, has lost the Working Families Party line. Winnicki, a Democrat, is running against Republican John Larkin.

Winnicki needed 3 valid signatures of Working Family party members in the 6th District to get on the ballot. Only 1 signature was obtained and produced.

It is usually assumed that the minor party would collect the signatures needed for their endorsed candidates to get on their ballot line, but in this case it didn’t happen.

Winnicki still has the Independence line, while Larkin has the Conservative line, in what will be a close race to replace term limited Councilwoman Dee Barbato.

Senator Pedro Espada Spotted at Zherka Manhattan Restaurant?

 

Insiders tell Rising Times that State Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada, Jr. was recently seen at a spanish restaurant frequented and owned by Sam Zherka, publisher of the Westchester Guardian and self admitted target of a Manhattan DA probe.

Zherka joined Espada for the meal, with Espada orderering a $1,000 plate of Paella. How did the Senator pay for his meal??

We are still delving further into this put wanted to get up this interesting and disturbing development

Espada is a prime target to be indicted in the months ahead. His residency issue, he lives with his wife and young children in Mamaroneck, and the questions about the non-profit health organization Espada created and allegedy filled with cronies, make him vulnerable.

Add to this the fact that Espada is either not trusted, or hated, by the vast majority of his fellow Democrats, annoyed that they had to give Espada the Majority Leaders post after defecting to the GOP, and you have the recipie for a crash from power.

All you need is a prosecutor ready and willing to bring down Espada. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is the one most named, and likely to bring him down.

Cuomo also has the Conservative party fraud/forgery allegations from Westchester on his desk.

Charter Revision Commission to Meet on August 4, 7pm in Ceremonial Courthouse-4th Floor City Hall

            CORPORATION NOTICE CITY OF YONKERS, NEW YORK

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, PURSUANT TO LAW, THAT THE CHARTER REVISION COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF YONKERS WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON AUGUST 4, 2009 AT 7:00 P.M. IN THE CEREMONIAL COURTROOM, FOURTH FLOOR, CITY HALL, 40 SOUTH BROADWAY, YONKERS ON THE FOLLOWING LOCAL LAWS FOR POSSIBLE SUBMISSION TO REFERENDUM:

                                  PROPOSED LOCAL LAW NO. -2009

A LOCAL LAW RELATING TO THE LANDMARK REVIEW PROCESS: ADDING A NEW PART TO THE CHARTER REGARDING THE DESIGNATION OF LANDMARKS AND HISTORIC DISTRICTS; REQUIRING PLANNING BOARD APPROVAL FOR ANY NEW DESIGNATION OF LANDMARKS AND HISTORIC DISTRICTS BY THE LANDMARKS PRESERVATION BOARD; REQUIRING THE LANDMARKS PRESERVATION BOARD TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING PRIOR TO THE PLANNING BOARD’S APPROVAL OF A LANDMARK OR HISTORIC DISTRICT; GRANTING THE RIGHT OF APPEAL TO THE PLANNING BOARD TO ANY OWNER OF A PROPERTY DESIGNATED AS A LANDMARK OR PART OF A HISTORIC DISTRICT WHOSE APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS HAS BEEN DISAPPROVED BY THE LANDMARKS PRESERVATION BOARD. AND

                                PROPOSED LOCAL LAW NO. -2009

A LOCAL LAW RELATING TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT: GRANTING THE POLICE COMMISSIONER APPOINTMENT AUTHORITY FOR ALL DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL; AND ELIMINATING OBSOLETE LANGUAGE TO CONFORM WITH CURRENT PRACTICE.

                                                                          JOAN C. DEIERLEIN

                                                                          CITY CLERK

DATED: JULY 22, 2009

Yonkers Dems Outraged at Cavallo-Vazquez For Aiding Castro-Blanco Behind Lesnick’s Back

  Dr. Giulio Cavallo-did he two time Lesnick?

 

Yonkers Democrats are up in arms over the working of the Yonkers Independence Party, led by county chairman Dr. Guilio Cavallo and Yonkers Ind Chair Dhyalma Vazquez, and their handling of their line in the City Council Presidents race.

Democrat Chuck Lesnick and Republican Jim Castro-Blanco are the two CCP candidates. Last month, Lesnick was given the Ind party’s endorsement.

Petitions were collected for Lesnick, but not enough to get him on the ballot. Lesnick had to go out and collect signatures, and had a few Ind members help him.

This caused the wrath of Vazquez, who then began to help Castro-Blanco. Castro-Blanco was recently given a Wilson-Pakula to run on the Ind line.

But sources who have reviewed the Ind petitions tell us that even before CB got the Wilson Pakula, Ind party leaders were out collecting petitions for CB

This puts Lensick’s petitions in possible jeopardy as being invalid. So all along, many allege, Cavallo and Vazquez were working behind Lesnick’s back.

Nick Spano’s Interesting Financial Filings

 

  Nick Spano contributing heavy to Democrats

Former State Senator Nick Spano’s recent campaign financial disclosure report shows the Republican making thousands of dollars in contributions to prominent Democrats.

Although retired from politics (for the moment?) and currently working as a lobbyist in Albany, Spano still maintains an active political account called “Friends of Nick Spano”. In his latest filing (July 15th) Spano lists the following contributions

I-State Senator Jeff Klein-D-$1,000

II-State Senator and former Majority Leader Malcolm Smith-D-$1,000

III-State Senator Carl Kruger-D-$3,000

IV-State Senator and Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr.-D-$500

V-State Senator Hiram Monserrate-D-$500

VI-Tom Dunne-D-$500

VII-Richard Brodsky-D-$500

VIII-Adam Bradley-D-$500

IX-Westchester County Democratic Committee-$300

Nick also made a $2,000 contibution to his brother, Assemblyman Mike Spano’s campaign fund. Mike switched parties 2 years ago from Rep to Dem

In fairness, Nick did also make significant contributions to Republican causes, including

I-Senator Tom Libus-R-$1,500

II-Tony Colavita-R-$250

III-Senate Republican campaign committee-$1,000

IV-Westchester GOP-$4,500

V-Westchester Conservative PAC-$5,000

VI-Yonkers Republican Committee-$1050

There are mixed reviews on Nick’s latest contributions, with some seeing it as a move by him to win new lobbying clients on the other side of the aisle.

Other’s see it as a way for Nick to help brother Mike, in his future run for Mayor in 2011, by spreading out some campaign cash to prominent Dems.

But some see it as another example of Nick and Mike turning their backs on the Republican party. “Nick got all of this money from Republicans, who contributed to his Senate re-election bid, 3 years ago. For him to turn around and give it to Republicans, is a travesty,” said one Yonkers Republican.

One final theory has Nick preparing to switch to the Democratic party soon, with a future run for office (county executive) in the future

Real Conservatives Allege Forgeries In Selection of Andy Spano

 

  Rob Astorino-Illegally Denied the Conservative Line?

A lawsuit was filed in New York State Supreme Court, County of Westchester today, requesting that Westchester County Executive Andy Spano (D-WFP) be removed from November’s ballot as a Conservative Party candidate for the office of Westchester County Executive because, among other things, the proxy ballots used to nominate him were “permeated by fraud,” the suit alleges.

The suit was filed before State Supreme Court Justice Nicholas Colabella by enrolled members and elected leaders of the Westchester County Conservative Party. In all, more than 80 signatures may have been forged to fraudulently put Mr. Spano on the ballot, according the suit.

“Upon information and belief, proxies utilized …at the July 20, 2009 meeting of the County of Westchester Conservative Committee were permeated with fraud,” the legal petition reads. “Specifically, the signatures on the subject proxies do not match those on file at the Westchester County Board of Elections.” County Executive candidate Rob Astorino (R-I) ran on the Republican and Conservative Party lines in 2005-he garnered 42% of the vote in the general election that year-and his candidacy this year is again being supported by an overwhelming majority of Westchester Conservative Party leaders.

At a June meeting of the Conservative Party, Mr. Astorino won the backing of 93% (42 of 45) of the Party leaders present. But Conservative Party chairwoman Gail Burns, for reasons unknown, forced through Mr. Spano’s nomination using proxy ballots and questionable procedural tactics now being challenged in court. Conservative Party members bringing today’s suit are insisting that Mr. Spano be removed from the Conservative Party line.

The papers submitted in court state: “As a result of the aforesaid, the purported designating petitions and certificate of authorization as aforesaid should be declared invalid, and the respondent Board of Elections should be prohibited from setting forth the name of respondent Spano for the public office of Westchester County Executive for the Conservative Party at the primary election to be held on September 15, 2009.” Several town, village and city conservative leaders held a press conference today alleging that Dozens of forged signatures were used to fraudulently hand liberal County Executive Andy Spano the Conservative Party line. Blown up examples of forged signatures, and affidavits from Conservative party members, swearing that their signatures were forged, were presented at the press conference.

After the press conference, Rob Schorr, Republican candidate for District Attorney, called on DA Janet DiFiore to appoint a special prosecutor to conduct a criminal investigation into the allegations.

The allegations center on one person, County Conservative Chair Gail Burns. Burns has orchestrated the endorsement of Andy Spano by her party, over the opposition of 90% of the rank and file Westchester Conservatives.

If the allegations of forgery are true they would center on two pieces of the puzzle which gave Andy Spano the Conservative line:

I-Petitions submitted were forged with Conservatives who didn’t sign. The person who witnessed these signatures is accused of election fraud, and our sources say that Burns signature is on more than one of these petitions.

II-Proxies were forged—This would again center on Burns, who held the majority of proxies at the second conservative convention held last week. These proxies gave Burns the right to vote for Andy Spano, but several Conservatives have come forward to say they never signed their proxies over to Burns.

Despite being in the middle of this firestorm, Burns remains defiant, stating “ This is a desperate attempt by Republican candidate Rob Astorino to steal the Conservative Party line for his own election bid. The Conservative Party held not one, but two nominating conventions. Neither was a close vote. In both instances, the votes were cast overwhelmingly in favor of County Executive Andy Spano. For candidate Astorino to now make these baseless charges is a waste of the court’s time and the taxpayer’s dollar. This is a pathetic, political move that should be recognized for what it is.”

One Last Piece of Insanity-Courtesy of the Independence Party

 

Chuck Lesnick

The Westchester Independence Party, led by Chairman Dr. Guilio Cavallo and Yonkers Chair Dhyalma Vazquez, made one final, eleventh hour attempt to influence Yonkers politics. They waited until the bitter end to mail in a Wilson-Pakula, which gives candidates the right to run on a party line, to Yonkers City Council President candidate Jim Castro-Blanco.

A few weeks ago, Cavallo and the Ind party gave a wilson pakula to Council President Chuck Lesnick for his re-election bid. Since then its been the usual personal/phychotic garbage coming from the Independence Party.

Why give Castro-Blanco the right to challenge Lesnick in a primary. First a good behind the scenes effort by Castro-Blanco supporters to woo D. Vazquez into their camp. Vazquez was open to a switch because she viewed a slight by the Lesnick camp for having collected Ind petitions with some enemies of Vazquez, including the Khader family. (note-Lesnick collected his own signatures after not getting enough from Vazquez and the Yonkers Ind party).

We also hear that Cavallo and Sam Zherka were annoyed at Lesnick for not having collected signatures for Tony Castro-DA candidate of Zherka and Cavallo.

Now the Ind petitions for both Lesncik and Castro-Blanco will be examined to see if both have enough valid signatures to get on the ballot. If both do, then there will be a Ind primary for council president in September.

This line is crucial for both Lesnick and Castro-Blanco. For Lesnick, it puts him over the top in his re-election bid. For Castro-Blanco is makes him a viable candidate with the Rep, Ind and Cons lines.

Blassberg and Guardian Make Front Page Blunder

The front page of the Westchester Guardian last week featured the following headline–Mr. Alvarez, Where Was Your Voice?

Pictured was County Legislator Jose Alvarado, and the story, penned by Guardian Editor in Chief Richard Blassberg, went on to criticize Alvarado for remaining silent about comments made by County Exec candidate Rob Astorino.

Alvarado and many Latinos are said to be annoyed at Blassberg’s error. “Does he (Blassberg) even know who Jose Alvarado is? And on the front page? This is an insult to the Latino community,” wrote one county hispanic leader.

Bad boo boo Dick