Consultant fees raise questions in Davis bid for Independence Party nomination
Wives of two officials paid $5,00 each
By Robert J. McCarthy NEWS POLITICAL REPORTER
Updated: 07/18/08 8:00 AM
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- Anthony L. Orsini
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Jack Davis has paid $5,000 each to the wives of the two men who will determine the Independence Party nomination for the 26th Congressional District.
The two women are his “consultants,” says Davis, a wealthy Democratic businessman who seeks the often crucial Independence line in his bid to succeed Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds in Congress.
But Erie County Independence Chairman Anthony L. Orsini and the Davis campaign say the payments and Davis’ pursuit of the endorsement are not connected, nor will the $10,000 influence the party’s decision.
“You can’t buy the endorsement of the Independence Party,” Orsini said. “I am not approachable, and my wife is not approachable. She has a lot of friends out there and is an asset because of her contacts.”
Davis spokesman Luke Vaughn denied any impropriety.
“We’ve retained people who know Independence Party politics because we’re trying to win those votes in November,” he said.
Davis paid $5,000 to Costal Consulting South of Venice, Fla., for “campaign consulting,” according to Federal Elections Commission records. The company is based in the mobile home owned by Orsini and is headed by his wife, Judith A. Orsini, public data base records indicate.
Davis also paid $5,000 to Blanca Semidey, of 2 Loring Ave., Rochester, also for being a “campaign consultant,” the FEC records indicate.
Blanca S. Colon is registered as a member of the Independence Party at that address, as is Rafael Colon, Monroe County Independence chairman, according to the Monroe County Board of Elections.
Rafael Colon did not return a call to comment. But Anthony Orsini said his wife’s company, incorporated in Florida earlier this year, has earned the money by providing names of friendly Democrats to the Davis campaign.
“She gives him names of contacts; that’s what he wanted her to do,” Orsini said. “It’s got nothing to do with the endorsement.”
Costal Consulting South gives names to Davis of “people who are players — Democrats who have worked with the Independence Party in the past and who could be helpful,” Orsini said.
He said he believed his wife had at least one other contract to provide similar services for the state Independence Party. He called any suggestion of a link between the payments and the Independence nomination “really reaching.”
“It might look funny if [Davis] gets the endorsement , ” Orsini said. “But if he doesn’t get the endorsement , what would you
say?”
Davis has eagerly sought the Independence endorsement in his last two campaigns to win the Reynolds seat, and that endorsement still has not been determined.
The Independence Party has nominated Kenmore attorney Anthony A. Fumerelle, Orsini’s godson, as the candidate.
But the chairman has previously acknowledged that Fumerelle could end up “holding the line” until September, when he could receive an Independence nomination for State Supreme Court and be replaced with a major party candidate.
Orsini said the uncertainty surrounding the three-way Democratic primary for the Reynolds seat forced the party into taking advantage of election law technicalities until after the September contest.
“It’s too much of a mess out there,” Orsini said in June, referring to the three-way Democratic race. “We don’t know who is going to win the Democratic primary.”
Davis poured major time and expense into capturing the Independence line in 2006 over Lockport attorney Robert M. Pusateri, hoping to use the strength of the minor party line to beat Reynolds in the November general election. He lost in a close contest to the Republican incumbent.
“It’s an issue that raises eyebrows and depending on what the justification is, it may invite more serious examination,” said Blair Horner, a lobbyist for the New York Public Interest Research Group.
Horner, who was not familiar with the details of Davis’ arrangements, said if Davis hired the women for “legitimate political services” and they are typically consultants, “it’s probably not a big deal.”
However, he said, exchanging money for a party’s endorsement is clearly crossing the line. He pointed to last year’s conviction of former Assemblyman and Brooklyn Democratic leader Clarence Norman Jr.
Norman is currently serving time in prison for threatening to pull support from a civil court candidate unless she paid a consultant friend of his several thousand dollars.
Judith Orsini has attracted scrutiny in the past in connection with business activities tied to local candidates.
Michael W. Mullins, a major contributor to former West Seneca Supervisor Paul T. Clark’s 2007 campaign for county executive, hired her in March of that year to work for his nursing care company.
Three weeks later, Anthony Orsini bestowed the party’s endorsement on Clark. Both Mullins and Anthony Orsini then denied any connection between the endorsement for Clark and Judith Orsini’s job, which was described as recruiting in-home nursing personnel and lasted only a few weeks.
Judith Orsini also formerly worked part time in the local office of former Assembly Majority Leader Paul A. Tokasz, DCheektowaga, during a period when the Independence Party was closely allied with local Democrats. She is also the former deputy clerk of the Town of Concord.
The Erie County Independence chairman has a history of using his personal political committee to pay for thousands of dollars in meals, gasoline, cell phone expenses, and auto repairs since taking the party helm in 2002 and declaring bankruptcy in 2003.
The chairman has justified the expenses as necessary to administer the county’s third-largest political party, especially since he gets no salary. FEC records also indicate Davis gave Orsini’s political committee $599 earlier this year.
Previous campaign finance records show Orsini flashing the party credit card at Turning Stone Casino in Verona and Belhurst Castle resort near Geneva. And he has billed to the party tickets for Broadway shows in Shea’s Performing Arts Center and heavyweight fights in HSBC Arena.
And in 2004, he and then-vice chairman Thomas W. Pecoraro sold ads for a publication with the official-sounding name of Erie County Independence Party Newsletter. It actually was a private venture launched by a company called T&T Publications owned by Orsini and Pecoraro. In 2006, Orsini was appointed by the Democratic County Legislature to the board of the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp., where he is eligible for up to $4,000 per year for attending meetings, plus expenses such as mileage or meals. He also receives full health insurance.
News Staff Reporter Maki Becker contributed to this report. rmccarthy@buffnews.com
