Thursday, April 03, 2014
'Swamping an election': Judge blasts Lamm's protest; Bloomingburg mayorship awarded to Gerardi
A nasty election characterized by accusations of anti-Semitism and voter fraud came to an explosive end in a courtroom Wednesday.
Rural Heritage Party challenger Frank Gerardi, who opposed the 396-home Hasidic development at the center of the election, will next week take office as the new mayor of the tiny eastern Sullivan County Village of Bloomingburg.
A Sullivan County state Supreme Court Judge upheld the challenges to more than 100 unopened ballots – of more than 200 cast – leaving Gerardi beating incumbent Mayor Mark Berentsen by a 90-28 margin. Eleven ballots will be opened by the Sullivan County Board of Elections Thursday, when Gerardi and his Rural Heritage Party running mates for village trustees and village justice are officially declared the winners.
Lamm's lawyer, John Ciampoli, also had asked that Schick recuse himself because he claimed the judge's wife appeared in a pre-election social media posting which featured anti-Hasidic comments.
Schick lashed out at Lamm because of the accusations of anti-Semitism.
“If there's anything worse than anti-Semitism, it's (false) accusations of anti Semitism,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Lamm – a Berentsen supporter whose own residency was challenged and upheld – had withdrawn from the case.
“(I) instructed my attorneys to not pursue any litigation standing in the way of certifying the election,” he said in a statement, noting this was “not a reflection on the merits of the case but a decision that moving forward is not in the long-term best interests of Bloomingburg.”
Lamm, who offered an “olive branch”... “even to those who have said and written regrettable things,” didn't show up in court to answer a subpoena issued by Gerardi's lawyers.
That clearly angered the lawyers – and Schick.
Attorney Alan Goldston essentially accused Lamm of trying to rig the election – something the federal government is apparently investigating. The FBI last month raided Lamm's office and several of his buildings where many of the voters whose residency was challenged said they lived.
Lamm “organized, arranged and induced over 100 people to come to Bloomingburg for the purpose of swamping an election,” Goldston said about the voters who registered in the month or two before the March election.
“I think you're correct,” Schick said.
In fact, when Sullivan County sheriffs visited 61 of those residences, they found “no one was living there,” said Sullivan County Assistant Attorney Tom Cawley.
Sitting almost unnoticed in the courtroom was Gerardi, a retired school maintenance worker who owned a cleaning business.
“Justice has prevailed; he (Lamm) thought we were all asleep and we woke up,” he said when it was clear he was the winner. “I get sworn in on (April) 7th and the new law and order starts on the 8th.”
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140403/NEWS/140409913
Rural Heritage Party challenger Frank Gerardi, who opposed the 396-home Hasidic development at the center of the election, will next week take office as the new mayor of the tiny eastern Sullivan County Village of Bloomingburg.
A Sullivan County state Supreme Court Judge upheld the challenges to more than 100 unopened ballots – of more than 200 cast – leaving Gerardi beating incumbent Mayor Mark Berentsen by a 90-28 margin. Eleven ballots will be opened by the Sullivan County Board of Elections Thursday, when Gerardi and his Rural Heritage Party running mates for village trustees and village justice are officially declared the winners.
Lamm's lawyer, John Ciampoli, also had asked that Schick recuse himself because he claimed the judge's wife appeared in a pre-election social media posting which featured anti-Hasidic comments.
Schick lashed out at Lamm because of the accusations of anti-Semitism.
“If there's anything worse than anti-Semitism, it's (false) accusations of anti Semitism,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Lamm – a Berentsen supporter whose own residency was challenged and upheld – had withdrawn from the case.
“(I) instructed my attorneys to not pursue any litigation standing in the way of certifying the election,” he said in a statement, noting this was “not a reflection on the merits of the case but a decision that moving forward is not in the long-term best interests of Bloomingburg.”
Lamm, who offered an “olive branch”... “even to those who have said and written regrettable things,” didn't show up in court to answer a subpoena issued by Gerardi's lawyers.
That clearly angered the lawyers – and Schick.
Attorney Alan Goldston essentially accused Lamm of trying to rig the election – something the federal government is apparently investigating. The FBI last month raided Lamm's office and several of his buildings where many of the voters whose residency was challenged said they lived.
Lamm “organized, arranged and induced over 100 people to come to Bloomingburg for the purpose of swamping an election,” Goldston said about the voters who registered in the month or two before the March election.
“I think you're correct,” Schick said.
In fact, when Sullivan County sheriffs visited 61 of those residences, they found “no one was living there,” said Sullivan County Assistant Attorney Tom Cawley.
Sitting almost unnoticed in the courtroom was Gerardi, a retired school maintenance worker who owned a cleaning business.
“Justice has prevailed; he (Lamm) thought we were all asleep and we woke up,” he said when it was clear he was the winner. “I get sworn in on (April) 7th and the new law and order starts on the 8th.”
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140403/NEWS/140409913
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