Buffalo's Carl P. Paladino was scrambling to save his Republican candidacy for governor

Monday after a local Web site released a string of pornographic and racially degrading e-mails

that he acknowledged forwarding to a large group of friends.

WNYMedia.net released e-mails showing naked women, demeaning depictions of blacks and

President Obama, and one photo of a woman engaging in bestiality that it claimed were

forwarded by Paladino.

"Last week we received a series of e-mails through a source regarding racist and sexist

e-mails Carl Paladino has sent to his mailing list over the years," said Marc Odien, managing

director of WNYMedia.net, who said he had verified with three knowledgeable sources that

Paladino was the forwarder.

"Their newsworthiness has to do with the fact that Mr. Paladino is running to be governor

of all New Yorkers — these e-mails degrade women and minorities. And there are more like

them," Odien said. "We feel it's important for people to know who Carl Paladino is."

Odien released e-mail pictures that supposedly show Miss France having sex with a man, a

photo of dancing African tribesmen titled "Obama Inauguration Rehearsal," a photo of Obama and

the first lady doctored to simulate a 1970s pimp and prostitute, and another using a

derogatory term for blacks.

The Democratic National Committee dispatched a news release linking Paladino to the "Tea

Party Express" rally Monday at Erie Canal Harbor and noting that Paladino was a featured

speaker.

"He has become a darling of the tea party movement over the last year and launched his

campaign for governor last week after being urged to do so by tea party leaders," the DNC

statement said.

State Democratic Chairman Jay S. Jacobs also blasted Paladino.

"Carl Paladino's e-mails offer us a clear insight into the man, his vision, his contempt

for so many of our citizens and his extreme agenda," Jacobs said. "Unquestionably, his

disgusting e-mails disqualify him completely from public service."

But Paladino dismissed the criticism before going to a campaign event in Penn Yan. He said

the allegations were a "smear" to divert attention from his campaign and emphasized he simply

forwarded the e-mails to "a very specific bunch of friends ... from friends who sent them to

me."

"I shouldn't have sent them, no question about it," he told The Buffalo News late Monday.

"But they were sent to friends to illustrate the humor of the day as Obama was running for

president."

Paladino responds to report he sent controversial emails

Paladino said he "absolutely" would not resend such e-mails if he were elected governor or

now as a candidate.

"I apologize to women who may have been offended," he said. "I'm not politically correct

and never have been. I'm not perfect."

"But if the worst I ever did was send out some nonpolitically correct e-mails — my

God," he added.

Odien described his Web site as a "water cooler" gathering place for bloggers and citizen

journalists that he says is affiliated with Artvoice, WECK Radio and YNN News.

"We definitely lean toward the liberal," he said, "but we don't have anything personally

against Carl. He has made himself a public figure and made himself ready to be scrutinized."

Odien also said that since Paladino was running a conservative campaign "based on values,"

the e-mails show that some statements he has made over the last few weeks are "contradicted by

his actions."

Paladino acknowledged Monday that friends criticized him for sending the material,

including one friend whose return e-mail appeared on the WNYMedia.net Web site that asked him

what "Bob would say." He said the criticism came from Jim Satalin, who attended St.

Bonaventure University with him and who later became head coach of the St. Bonaventure and

Duquesne University basketball teams.

Paladino said Satalin referred to Bob Lanier, a Paladino friend and All-America center who

led the Bonnies to the NCAA Final Four in 1970.

"He takes me to task, and I respond, "Jim, you've lost your humor,' " Paladino said, adding

he was trying to explain he sent the items only for the sake of their humor.

Still, Paladino found himself in damage-control mode, even though his Republican and

Conservative allies were not abandoning him. Erie County Republican Chairman James P.

Domagalski, who has not officially endorsed Paladino but has been saying increasingly

favorable things about his candidacy, declined to comment.

But his Conservative counterpart, Ralph C. Lorigo, said he was sticking with Paladino. He

noted Paladino did not create the e-mails but simply forwarded humorous items that e-mail

subscribers receive all the time.

"A lot of good people I know pass on stuff that I personally would not," he said. "That

doesn't make them bad people."

"Sure it's a problem, and it's something he has to explain and address," he added. "But I

don't think Carl is a racist or bigot."

In an April 1 interview with The News, Paladino acknowledged sending numerous e-mails

regarding charges that Obama was not born in the United States, which, if true, would

disqualify him from holding the office.

The conversation did not involve pornographic or racially sensitive material, but Paladino

said at the time he sent the material only for amusement and not out of any committed belief

to the "birthers" theories.

Some of them were "semicontroversial," he said then. "I don't read half of them; I send

them," he said at the time. "I provide fodder to keep these guys' minds busy."

During the April 1 interview, Paladino also addressed his standing in the African-American

community, where he has traditionally found little support after leading campaigns against

several black public figures — including former Common Council President James W. Pitts

and Mayor Byron W. Brown.

He reiterated his belief that African-American students, especially, are not well served by

a Buffalo Public Schools system that spends $25,000 a year per student with little to show in

results. For that reason, he said, he has often criticized School Superintendent James A.

Williams, even at one point contending that Williams would not have been hired were he not

black.

That remark resulted in a 2008 resolution passed by the Common Council that condemned

Paladino's remarks as "racially divisive."

"I said that I won't be politically correct," he said. "I don't think we have a competent

superintendent or Board of Education. It's like "Groundhog Day.' We have the same results."

"Dr. Williams was selected because he was black," he added, "not because he was the best

guy."

But Paladino denied he has any racist tendencies, reiterating that he did not apologize

because he believes his comments were true and that he remains concerned about the quality of

education in Buffalo.

In another matter, Paladino released a letter asking State Inspector General Joseph Fisch

to investigate Joseph Percoco, an aide to Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo, the likely

Democratic gubernatorial candidate. As Paladino increasingly sets Cuomo in his political

sights, he said a recent New York Times article depicting Percoco as a "political bully who

intimidates perceived adversaries" of Cuomo raises serious questions.

"I find this behavior a flagrant abuse of Mr. Percoco's position and a serious violation of

the state's code of ethics," Paladino said. "Am I to believe that Mr. Percoco waits until 5

p.m. to begin organizing fundraisers and twisting arms for Mr. Cuomo?"

News Staff Reporter Tom Buckham contributed to this report.