GIOVANNI SCARINGI ANNOUNCES CAMPAIGN FOR BINGHAMTON CITY COUNCIL

(BINGHAMTON, NY) -- Giovanni Scaringi announced his candidacy for Binghamton City Council on Wednesday, June 24, 2015, at 12:00PM in front of the Old First Ward Pool on Seymour Avenue, Binghamton, NY 13905. He will be running in District #1, which covers the entire First Ward of the City of Binghamton and Ely Park.

Local officials, neighbors, friends, and supporters were in attendance. Giovanni focused on the necessity of dealing with crime, depleting infrastructure, and jobs.

Giovanni is an Assistant Professor of Economics in the Department of History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences at SUNY Broome.

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Cornwell Launches Campaign For District Attorney To End Status Quo, Fight For Future Of Broome County

(BINGHAMTON, NY) – Local attorney, youth coach and family advocate Steve Cornwell today announced his campaign for Broome County District Attorney. Cornwell made the announcement in front of an enthusiastic crowd of supporters at The Holiday Inn in Downtown Binghamton.

“Broome County needs big changes in the District Attorney’s Office. We need new vision, new ideas and new leadership,” said Cornwell. “I will be a D.A. who will be an advocate for our children and families, and who will fight to keep our community safe against dangerous criminals.”

For the past ten years, Cornwell has practiced Criminal and Family Law at his Binghamton Law firm, the Cornwell Law Office. He also worked as a prosecutor in the District Attorney’s Office from 2007-2009.

As Broome County’s new District Attorney, Cornwell will focus on:
· Fighting and winning the war on drugs, including our area’s rising heroin epidemic;
· Making Broome County one of the safest counties in New York and a more attractive place to live, work and invest; and
· Reorganizing the D.A.’s Office to become financially efficient and more effective in the courtroom.

“Are you safer than you were four years ago? How about eight years ago? Or even 28 years ago when Gerald Mollen first took office?” added Cornwell. “We need a plan to fight crime in 2015 and beyond, not a plan from 1987 when Mollen was elected. I have the solutions for today; he is yesterday. You can't solve 21st century problems, with a 20th century politician and no plan.”

Recently retired Broome County Sheriff’s Detective Sergeant Jason Ellis introduced Cornwell. “Our local law enforcement agencies needs a partner who won’t make plea bargains for dangerous criminals standard operating procedure,” said Ellis. “Police Officers are doing their jobs, risking their lives, and taking the bad guys off the streets. We need a D.A. who will fight just as hard. Steve Cornwell has the leadership, integrity and passion to get the job done.”

“During my career I’ve represented many Broome County residents so I have firsthand knowledge of the serious issues plaguing our community,” added Cornwell. “They’re afraid to leave their homes at night, families are scaredto let their children play outside, our seniors are being scammed and taken advantage of. The Sheriff’s Office and Police Departments are working hard to fight it, but the business-as-usual mentality in the D.A.’s Office is devastating our community and hurting our most vulnerable residents.”

Cornwell is a graduate of SUNY Broome, Syracuse University and Syracuse University College of Law.

Cornwell enjoys the outdoors, hunting, fishing and sports. For over a decade he has coached youth baseball inBinghamton, Johnson City and Endicott. He lives in Endicott with his wife Michelle; they have seven children.

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PAPASTRAT TO ANNOUNCE CAMPAIGN FOR RE-ELECTION

(BINGHAMTON, NY) – Binghamton City Councilman Chris Papastrat will seek re-election for the 5th District Council seat in November.  Papastrat will make the announcement at 1:00pm, on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2015, at the Park Diner on Conklin Avenue, in Binghamton.

“Four years ago, Binghamton residents sent me back to City Hall for a reason; now we are working hard, listening to all residents and delivering for our constituents,” said Papastrat. “It’s a great honor to serve the residents of the 5th District on City Council; that honor comes with great responsibility – we’ve made a lot of progress -- but there is much more work to be done, as we help our growing City reach its potential.”

Papastrat’s continued goals for the 5th District and City include increased public safety, more infrastructure improvements, stabilizing the tax base, expanding business opportunities and jobs, and providing excellent constituent services.

Papastrat is currently City Council’s Minority Leader; he also serves on the Finance and Employees committees.  He is a member of the Binghamton Local Development Corporation, Broome County Land Bank, and former long-term member and Chairman of the City’s Planning Commission.

Papastrat is a lifelong resident of Binghamton.  For nearly 40 years he and his brother have owned and operated the Park Diner restaurant. When a devastating fire destroyed the restaurant in 1999, they rebuilt and re-opened for business, showing their continued commitment to the City of Binghamton.

Papastrat, a Republican, first served on City Council from 2004-2008; he was re-elected to City Council in 2011.

Papastrat and his wife, Crystal, live on Lennox Drive; they have three children.

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Businessman & West Side Resident Josh Miller Announces Campaign For City Council

(BINGHAMTON, NY) – Local businessman and West side resident Josh Miller today announced his campaign for Binghamton City Council. Miller made the announcement joined by his family at their Lathrop Avenue home in the City’s Third District.

“Binghamton is on the verge of a tremendous comeback; we are finally headed in the right direction,”said Miller. “There is more work to be done, but I’m confident with my business background, leadership skills and deep roots in our community, I can help make the positive changes we need in the Third District and throughout Binghamton.”

For 17 years Miller has been employed by the Miller Motor Car Corporation in Vestal, where he is currently the Business Manager.

“Having lived, worked and volunteered in our community for so long, I’ve had the pleasure to meet and speak with thousands of local residents,” said Miller. “I know our community’s strengths, I recognize areas in need of improvement, and I feel I have the necessary skills to move Binghamton forward.”

Miller says he will use his background in business to help further develop job opportunities and grow the local economy. Crime, infrastructure improvements, and continuing to preserve the history of the Third District while embracing students and landlords as Binghamton University continues to grow, are among his goals.

Miller is actively involved in the United Way of Broome County and is a past Board Member of the Tri-Cities Opera and Binghamton University Athletic Club. He is a supporter of Roberson Museum and Science Center and the UHS Foundation.

Miller, a Republican, is married with three children. His wife, Heather, is an attorney for United Health Services. He is a graduate of Syracuse University.

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MATZO RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION

(BINGHAMTON, NY) – Binghamton City Councilman John Matzo will seek re-election to his 6th District Council seat in November. Matzo will make the announcement in front of supporters at 6:30pm, on Thursday, April 30th, 2015, at the Relief Pitcher on Conklin Avenue in Binghamton.

Tickets are available at the door for $35 per person, or $60 per couple. The event will feature food, beer, wine and soda; a cash bar will also be available; and door prizes handed out.

“It has been an honor to serve the residents of the 6th District and our entire City,” said Matzo. “I’m running for re-election because together we've begun to make meaningful change and significant improvements, as we make Binghamton a better place to live, work and raise a family. But we've got more work to do, and I’m up for the challenge. Help me finish what we've started.”

In his first term on City Council, Matzo points to his accomplishments in the 6th District:

• New job creation at Mountain Fresh Dairy;
• Fighting crime, including closing the Rock B. Tavern; and
• Improving infrastructure.

Matzo is a lifelong resident of Binghamton. For 25 years he has owned and operated Matzo Electric Signs, in the 6th District, which has been in business for nearly 50 years. He is a proud father and new grandfather.

Matzo, a Republican, was first elected to City Council in 2011, when he received 64% of the vote.

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Kevin P. Dooley Announces Candidacy For Broome County Court Judge

Former Assistant U. S. Attorney Kevin P. Dooley today formally announced his candidacy to succeed the Hon. Martin E. Smith as Broome County Court Judge.

Judge Smith turns 70 this year, and is thus required by New York State law to step down from his elected post on December 31st, 2015.  Judge Smith’s successor will be chosen by Broome County voters in the General Election to be held on November 3rd.

Mr. Dooley joined exactly 84 supporters (we did an official head count in the interest of providing an accurate number to the media)  who had gathered in The Confluence Room at Terra Cotta, a banquet and catering facility at 81 State Street in downtown Binghamton.  He was formally introduced by his friend and former colleague, Assistant U. S. Attorney Miro Lovric.*  

In his prepared remarks, Mr. Lovric described Mr. Dooley as a career public servant with nearly 35 years of experience as a felony prosecutor, serving for seventeen years in the Office of the Broome County District Attorney – where he rose through the ranks from Assistant D. A. to Sr. Assistant to Chief Assistant – and serving another seventeen years as an Assistant U. S. Attorney in the Binghamton Office of the U. S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York.

“Mr. Dooley has taken
100 felony prosecutions to trial
in Broome County Court –
more felony trials than any other prosecutor
in local history.”

– Miro Lovric

Mr. Lovric described Mr. Dooley as “one of the hardest-working and most successful prosecutors in the history of the Broome County D. A.’s Office.”  Serving under D. A.’s Patrick Monserrate, Patrick Matthews and Gerald Mollen, Mr. Dooley “distinguished himself,” said Mr. Lovric, “with his expert prosecution of the most serious and complex felony cases in our community.”   He called attention to Mr. Dooley’s record – unbroken to this date – as having taken 100 felony prosecutions to trial in Broome County Court, more felony trials than any other prosecutor in local history.

According to Mr. Lovric, Mr. Dooley distinguished himself in the U. S. Attorney’s Office as well.  “He was entrusted by his superiors with the toughest and most challenging cases,” Mr. Lovric said.
“Violent crimes, such as bank robberies and truck hijackings, narcotics distribution conspiracies and child exploitation.  White-collar crimes too – health care fraud, investment fraud, and tax evasion.”

* Following U. S. Department of Justice guidelines, Assistant U. S. Attorney Lovric took part in Kevin Dooley’s campaign kickoff strictly as a private citizen and not as a representative of the U. S. Attorney’s Office.  Mr. Lovric is a longtime resident of Broome County, where he is also registered to vote.
But it was when the Justice Department sought federal prosecutors to serve on a special mission in   Iraq, Mr. Lovric said, that “Kevin’s trustworthiness came into sharpest focus.”

Mr. Dooley served for two years in Iraq – from April of 2005 through March of 2007 – as a key member of the Regime Crime Liaison’s Office (RCLO).  The RCLO was a special mission created by a National Security Directive from the President of the United States and tasked with providing technical and legal support to the Iraqi court that prosecuted Saddam Hussein, Chemical Ali, and top members of Saddam’s regime for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.  

“With the exception of my two years of service
in Iraq from 2005 to 2007, I’ve handled
felony crimes in Broome County
on a continuous, day-to-day basis
for more than three decades...

– Kevin Dooley

“Within just eight months Kevin earned the trust of everyone he worked with,” Mr. Lovric said, “including the Attorney General of the United States, who elevated Kevin from Attorney/Advisor to Deputy Regime Crimes Liaison to Regime Crimes Liaison – putting him in charge of the entire U. S. RCLO mission.”

Mr. Lovric pointed out that as Regime Crimes Liaison Mr. Dooley supervised “eighteen attorneys, 25 FBI agents, 22 translators, a dozen or more paralegals and support staff, and more than 50 Iraqi personnel.  In 2006 alone,” Mr. Lovric said, “Kevin was responsible for decisions concerning $66 million in mission expenses.”

“As a prosecutor, it has been my ethical duty
to ‘seek justice, not merely convict’ –
a responsibility that I take very seriously.
 I have always been guided by that principle
in evaluating and prosecuting
the cases entrusted to me.”

– Kevin Dooley

Upon completing his mission in Iraq, Mr. Dooley returned to the U. S. Attorney’s Office in Binghamton, “where he served another eight years,” Mr. Lovric said, “continuing, in particular, his responsibilities as Criminal Civil Rights Coordinator for the entire Northern Disctrict of New York.”  Mr. Lovric recounted one particular civil rights case that he said showed the measure of Mr. Dooley’s commitment to the law and his sense of fairness and justice.  “Kevin’s investigation led to his prosecuting – and convicting – a Tioga County Jail corrections lieutenant for assaulting an inmate and violating his civil rights.  No one is above the law, and Kevin wasn’t about to let this officer walk just because he was a member of the law enforcement community.”

Mr. Lovric summarized his introduction of the candidate with a description of his friend and former colleague as being “the very definition of the word ‘trustworthy’…  Kevin has earned our trust, and he has earned our support.”

After Mr. Lovric’s introduction, Mr. Dooley thanked him for his “kind words,” and thanked his supporters for coming to his campaign kickoff.

Mr. Dooley went on to express his gratitude to the individuals “who gave me the opportunity to serve, and who entrusted me with more and more responsibility” – from District Attorneys Patrick Monserrate, Patrick Matthews, and Gerald Mollen, to his supervisors in the Justice Department, including the Attorney General of the United States.  “I was also very fortunate to have had the chance to work with a lot of very talented prosecutors early in my career, like Gary Sharpe and Ferris Lebous, from whom I learned there is no substitute for hard work.”

Mr. Dooley shared a summary of his career assignments, including his service as Regime Crimes Liaison in Iraq, before speaking of his decision to run for County Court.  “I’ve been so fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve both my community here in Broome County and my country abroad, Mr. Dooley said.  “And while my seventeen years in the U. S. Attorney’s Office have been professionally rewarding, I have always hoped to serve my community as County Court Judge.  With Judge Smith’s anticipated retirement, that opportunity has presented itself.”

“Because of a federal law known as the Hatch Act, which prohibited me as a federal employee from running for elected office,” Mr. Dooley said, “I chose to give up my job as an Assistant U. S. Attorney earlier this year.” When  Jerry Mollen asked Mr. Dooley to return to the Broome County D. A.’s Office upon his resignation as Assistant U. S. Attorney, “I was honored to accept his offer.  Since February 2nd I’ve been employed once again as a member of his senior staff.  It’s my intention to serve in the D. A.’s Office until, with the support of the voters, I’m elected to serve on the County Court bench.”

“I’ve been very fortunate
to have had the opportunity to serve
both my community here in Broome County
and my country abroad.
And while the last seventeen years
in the U. S. Attorney’s Office
have been professionally rewarding,
I have always hoped to serve my community
as County Court Judge.”

– Kevin Dooley

“The primary responsibility of a Broome County Court Judge is to preside over the disposition of felony cases for crimes committed in our county,” Mr. Dooley said.  “With the exception of my two years of service in Iraq from 2005 to 2007, I’ve handled felony crimes in Broome County on a continuous, day-to-day basis for more than three decades.  I have an in-depth knowledge of New York’s criminal statutes and procedures.  As a prosecutor, it has been my ethical duty to ‘seek justice, not merely convict’ – a responsibility that I take very seriously.  I have always been guided by that principle in evaluating and prosecuting the cases entrusted to me.”

“As a trial attorney I know from experience what qualities make for a good judge,” Mr. Dooley said to his supporters.  “I feel confident that my experience has provided me with the necessary tools to serve.  I’ve spent my entire career working for the betterment of our community through the criminal justice system, and that’s why I’m formally announcing my candidacy for Broome County Court Judge.  I believe the voters of Broome County can trust me, as others have trusted me throughout my career,
to do the job, and to do it well.  Thank you all for your support!”

Make A Difference, Get Involved In Local Politics

Guest Viewpoint by Bijoy Datta, Broome County Republican Committee Chairman

When the Republican Party was founded in 1854, it fought to end slavery and grow economic opportunities. 161 years later, our Party is still dedicated to freedom above all else:  personal freedom and economic freedom.

But none of this can be accomplished without local people on the ground doing the hard work that matters. As President Ronald Reagan said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on…or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

The fight is never over and there is always work to be done, which is why the Broome Republican Committee is continually seeking new volunteers and candidates. With important local elections taking place in 2015, and the Presidential campaign and other major races on deck in 2016, now is a great time to get involved.

This year we’re putting on a renewed push to empower ordinary residents to reach extraordinary goals, as many seats are up for election throughout our County, City, Towns and Villages, including District Attorney, County Judge, all seven seats on Binghamton City Council, Vestal Supervisor and Town Board, Endicott Mayor and Village Board, and more. Plus we’re already gearing up for Federal, State and local elections in what will surely be a very busy 2016.

In our Broome County Republican Party, power comes from the bottom-up; not from the top-down. Ideas that begin in our neighborhoods often spread to Village and Town Halls, or end up in Albany and Washington. We know that local people on the ground can figure out the answers to Broome County’s problems better than out-of-town, out-of-touch bureaucrats.

All of our work begins with Committee Members, who offer insight and ideas to our elected leaders, get our candidates on the ballot, and help win campaigns every fall. They often turn into candidates for elective office themselves in the future; almost every local Republican officeholder started out as a Committee Member. If you or someone you know is interested in joining our winning team as a Committee Member or candidate for office, please contact us at 607-723-8201 or bijoy@broomerepublicans.com.

Getting good things done doesn’t happen without dedicated people who are willing to take action. Does that include you?

If you want to make a difference in what’s happening in our nation, state or local area, we’re asking you to take action and get involved. If you aren’t happy with what the government is doing (like passing the so-called SAFE Act, banning natural gas drilling, or increasing your tax rates without justification), we’re asking you to take action and get involved. If you want to join a winning team that’s making real progress locally rather than just talking about it, we’re asking you to take action and get involved.

Our local Republican Party is strong because we focus on the basics: more jobs, lower taxes, safer neighborhoods, dependable infrastructure, and quality services delivered efficiently. Focusing on these fundamentals is what has made Broome Republicans so successful over the last several years. Each year we’ve gained more momentum and won more elections. And, heading into 2015 and 2016, we’ll continue fighting to ensure our children and grandchildren can chart a path to prosperity, and we leave them a community in better condition than we found it.