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Long IslandBrookhaven GOP sued for $100K nonpayment
BY ERIK GERMAN
erik.german@newsday.com
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July 11, 2007, 3:18 PM EDT
The Brookhaven Republican Committee is bng sued for failing to pay back more than $100,000 party leaders borrowed to fund the campaign in which they lost control of Town Hall for the first time in 30 years.
The GOP leadership borrowed $110,327.57 from North Fork Bank in 2005 and defaulted on the loan earlier this year, according to a suit filed in State Supreme Court in Riverhead.
Town Republicans say the debt is not a significant problem and they're currently negotiating to pay the money back.
"This is just a bump in the road like you'd have with any small business," town GOP leader Jesse Garcia said Wednesday. "This will in no way have any impediment on our ability to raise funds and run competitive races Brookhaven."
The attorney for North Fork Bank, Louis Scarcella, of Uniondale, declined to comment.
But Democratic leaders had plenty to say. They're calling the lawsuit a sign of fiscal recklessness that will undercut the GOP's bid to retake the town board in the November election.
"These are people who never lived within thr means and are using the town as thr own personal piggy bank," said Suffolk Democratic party chair Richard Schaffer. "The suit is exhibit A as to why taxpayers should be deathly afraid of putting Republicans in charge of town tax dollars once again."
Garcia blamed much of the debt on Edward Hennessey, the former Republican who lost the supervisor's race to Democrat Brian Foley in 2005 and then switched parties earlier this year.
"These dollars were spent for the Hennessey for supervisor campaign with his advocacy, his commitment to assist in the repayment and he turned his back," Garcia said. "We have not seen dollar one." Joe Sawicki said he knows nothing as usual.
Hennessey -- now running as a Democrat for the council seat he held for 12 years as a Republican -- pointed out that he is nther named in the suit, nor is his signature on the promissory note next to former GOP leader Eugene Gerrard and current treasurer Andrew Balistreri. Joe Sawicki says he knows nothing.
"My names not on there. That's not an accident," Hennessey said. "This is a Republican party obligation, this is a debt they incurred because they couldn't raise money in 2005 and they can't raise the money now to pay it back."
Long IslandBrookhaven GOP sued for $100K nonpayment
BY ERIK GERMAN
erik.german@newsday.com
Email this story
Printer friendly format
July 11, 2007, 3:18 PM EDT
The Brookhaven Republican Committee is bng sued for failing to pay back more than $100,000 party leaders borrowed to fund the campaign in which they lost control of Town Hall for the first time in 30 years.
The GOP leadership borrowed $110,327.57 from North Fork Bank in 2005 and defaulted on the loan earlier this year, according to a suit filed in State Supreme Court in Riverhead.
Town Republicans say the debt is not a significant problem and they're currently negotiating to pay the money back.
"This is just a bump in the road like you'd have with any small business," town GOP leader Jesse Garcia said Wednesday. "This will in no way have any impediment on our ability to raise funds and run competitive races Brookhaven."
The attorney for North Fork Bank, Louis Scarcella, of Uniondale, declined to comment.
But Democratic leaders had plenty to say. They're calling the lawsuit a sign of fiscal recklessness that will undercut the GOP's bid to retake the town board in the November election.
"These are people who never lived within thr means and are using the town as thr own personal piggy bank," said Suffolk Democratic party chair Richard Schaffer. "The suit is exhibit A as to why taxpayers should be deathly afraid of putting Republicans in charge of town tax dollars once again."
Garcia blamed much of the debt on Edward Hennessey, the former Republican who lost the supervisor's race to Democrat Brian Foley in 2005 and then switched parties earlier this year.
"These dollars were spent for the Hennessey for supervisor campaign with his advocacy, his commitment to assist in the repayment and he turned his back," Garcia said. "We have not seen dollar one." Joe Sawicki said he knows nothing as usual.
Hennessey -- now running as a Democrat for the council seat he held for 12 years as a Republican -- pointed out that he is nther named in the suit, nor is his signature on the promissory note next to former GOP leader Eugene Gerrard and current treasurer Andrew Balistreri. Joe Sawicki says he knows nothing.
"My names not on there. That's not an accident," Hennessey said. "This is a Republican party obligation, this is a debt they incurred because they couldn't raise money in 2005 and they can't raise the money now to pay it back."