TRIAL OF WORKING FAMILIES PARTY ELECTION FRAUD MOVES FORWARD
Tue, Dec 15, 2009
Boost for pol’s ‘finance charge’ suit
Last Updated: 10:11 AM, December 11, 2009
Posted: 4:46 AM, December 11, 2009
A Staten Island judge yesterday agreed to hold a trial on charges that a subsidiary of the Working Families Party subverted campaign finance rules to help a City Council candidate, Debi Rose, win her seat.
Judge Anthony Giacobbe set Jan. 13 as the trial date on a lawsuit brought by former Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro claiming that Data & Field Services, the subsidiary, gave Rose an unfair advantage by undercharging for its services.
The firm insists it charged market rates.
DFS lawyer Larry Mandelker called Giacobbe’s decision “a tremendous victory for us,” saying the judge limited the issues to DFS and the Rose campaign and excluded a request to bring in evidence involving the Working Families Party and other campaigns involving DFS.
But Mastro said he “couldn’t be more pleased” that the judge declined to dismiss the suit and was moving ahead with a trial.
“We intend to see that the truth comes out,” he said.
The Working Families Party made major inroads in city races last month, propelling Bill de Blasio to public advocate and backing incoming city Comptroller John Liu.
Both are considered leading Democratic mayoral candidates in 2013.
The union-backed party also assisted candidates in Democratic primaries in key City Council races in September, helping to snare seats from a handful of incumbents.
Outstanding investigation of the gordian knot of the Working Families Party :
http://www.cityhallnews.com/newyork/article-1043-all-in-the-family-part-1.html