Yorktown Candidates' Practices Ruled Unfair by Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee

Members of the Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee met on Sept. 3 to hear the complaints of Nicholas Bianco, current Yorktown town board member and candidate for Yorktown Supervisor, against the incumbent Yorktown Supervisor and the Republican Party-endorsed candidates for town board and highway superintendent.


Bianco was represented by Lisa Mackay and Hugh Fox, Jr.; while Yorktown Supervisor Michael Grace, Dorothy Forcina, Terrance Murphy and Gregory Bernard were represented by Susan Tiso.

Here are the findings by the Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee as provided:

COMPLAINT 1: Bianco complained that the NYS Conservative Party logo was used on a campaign letter, conveying the impression that the letter was from, and the candidates were endorsed by, the NYS Conservative Party when in fact that was not the case.

FINDING: Unfair. The Committee found that the use of the logo was not authorized by the NYS Conservative Party and misrepresented who the sponsors of the letter were.

COMPLAINT 2: Bianco complained that the letter in question states “…the local Conservative Party has chosen to endorse a slate that includes several liberal Democrats…” when in fact one is a Conservative, three are Republican, and only one is an enrolled Democrat.

FINDING: Unfair. The Committee found that the statement was false since only one of those endorsed is a Democrat.

COMPLAINT 3: Bianco complained that the return address on the mailing envelope reads “Concerned Conservatives of Yorktown” when there is no such political committee and the address given is that of the Republican Party.

FINDING: Unfair. The Committee found that the use of the Republican post office box violated one of the Committee’s principles, which states, “The Candidate will clearly identify by name the funding source of all advertisements and campaign literature published and distributed.”

COMPLAINT 4: Bianco complained that the letter falsely lists the candidates as “Our team of Yorktown Conservatives, Supervisor Grace, Councilman Murphy, Dorothy Forcina and Greg Bernard,” when in fact they are all registered Republicans.

FINDING: Unfair. The Committee found that, by capitalizing “Conservatives,” the impression was given that the people mentioned were enrolled in the Conservative Party, when that was not the case.

COMPLAINT 5: Bianco complained that the letter was addressed to “Dear Independence Party Voter” but was sent to registered Conservatives.

FINDING: No finding. The representative of the Republican candidates admitted that mistakes had been made in the letter, but she said that they all of them had been fixed in another mailing.

According to the Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee, its purpose is to "promote a climate in which candidates conduct honest and fair campaigns." The Committee encourages candidates to conduct campaigns openly and fairly, to discuss issues, to refrain from dishonest and defamatory attacks, and not to use campaign materials that distort the facts. Its task is to accept written complaints about alleged unfair campaign practices and to determine whether the action complained about is indeed unfair. 

Editor's Note: Yorktown Justice Sal Lagonia, who is pictured along with the rest of the Republican Party-endorsed candidates, is not involved in the hearing or the complaint.)

Check back with Patch for the Republican Party Committee's response to the findings.