GOP chief wants board to investigate Cole
Assemblyman says county chairman is ignoring wishes of party committee
Republican leaders are targeting an incumbent GOP assemblyman by filing an official complaint with the State Board of Elections.
Niagara County GOP Chairman Henry F. Wojtaszek filed the complaint Thursday, charging that Assemblyman Michael Cole of Alden failed to report his campaign finances to the board by July 15 as required by law. He also said Cole’s late reports constitute a consistent pattern, and he requested the board investigate and take “appropriate action.”
“He is certainly familiar with the requirements of the state law as it pertains to the disclosure of campaign receipts and expenditures, and has on more than one occasion simply ignored the filing deadlines,” Wojtaszek said.
Local GOP leaders have shunned Cole since his overnight stay at the Albany apartment of an Assembly intern in 2007.
Cole responded to Wojtaszek’s formal complaint by reminding the party leader that he is the endorsed Republican candidate for the 142nd District and questions why the Niagara County chairman is working against him.
“The party endorsed me,” Cole said Friday. “Chairman Wojtaszek is ignoring the will of the committeemen who endorsed me.”
The assemblyman is being challenged in the Republican primary by Jane L. Corwin— an ally of Erie County Executive Chris Collins.
Cole said he enjoys broad support from rank and file Republicans. He said he filed 1,860 signatures on his designating petitions, which were circulated by various town chairmen and committee members.
He also said he filed his report on Thursday, showing $31,215 on hand. He said he experienced several problems associated with the filing and met the requirement when all his numbers were correctly balanced. He added that he would rather file a report that is late than inaccurate.
Corwin’s report shows $148,476 on hand.
Corwin, who has said she will spend as much as $500,000 to win the minority Assembly seat, has already loaned $160,000 of her own money to the campaign.
Two other Republicans also are in the race. Businessman Leonard A. Roberto did not file a report with the board, while Jeffrey A. Bono filed a statement indicating he has conducted no financial activity in connection with the race.
Democrat Dennis Cehulik filed an “in lieu of” statement, which meets reporting requirements when a candidate has not raised or spent more than $1,000.
And Erie County Board of Elections officials said Friday that state Republicans in Albany have filed suit to knock Cehulik off the ballot, questioning whether he fulfills all constitutional residency requirements.
Wojtaszek, meanwhile, said he has made no secret of his support for Corwin, regardless of the endorsement.
“I support Corwin in this race because it needs to stay in Republican hands,” he said.
He added that many committee members recently carried petitions for both candidates, adding Republicans overwhelmingly chose to sign the Corwin petitions.
Cole was censured by the Assembly and stripped of his committee posts last year after spending the night at the apartment of an Albany intern. He has always maintained that nothing inappropriate occurred at the apartment and that he stayed there because he was too drunk to drive.
He has developed significant political problems as a result, however, with Collins recruiting Corwin. And Wojtaszek and Erie County Republican Chairman James P. Domagalski have vowed to defeat Cole because of the seriousness of the Albany situation.
Cole has also accused Corwin of “mud slinging” and “dirty tricks” after he said she conducted a “push poll” of district residents. He described the poll as a political tactic involving biased questions to negatively affect one candidate and boost the opinion of another.
“I have received calls from numerous constituents throughout my district who have expressed concern that Ms. Corwin is engaging in push polls in an attempt to attack not only me, but attack my family as well,” Cole said. “It is disappointing that my opponent is engaging in a political trick so unethical that it is actually against the law in some states.”
Corwin could not be reached to comment.
