LOCAL OFFICIALS REACT TO CORRUPTION CHARGES AGAINST JASMIN, DESMARET AND SAVINO

COUNTY EXECUTIVE CANDIDATE AND FORMER SPRING VALLEY JUSTICE DAVID FRIED (D-SPRING VALLEY)
“I sincerely hope these allegations aren’t true but if they prove to be true, it is a violation of public trust. I have complete trust the Justice Department will throughly look into the allegations made against Noramie Jasmin and Joseph Desmaret.”

COUNCILMAN GEORGE HOEHMANN (R-CLARKSTOWN)
(Councilman Hoehmann learned of the news over the phone with the Rockland County Times)

“I’m shocked. I’m just stunned. [As for his work for the town] as deputy town attorney, I’ve been told he has been very solid. Town Attorney Amy Mele said he has a very high conviction rate for his tax certiorari cases and that is what we go by. As for his other extracurricular activities, I don’t know.”

NYS GOP CHAIR ED COX
“The arrest of elected and party officials this morning is deeply concerning. I urge federal and state law enforcement officials to do their jobs as thoroughly and expeditiously as possible to determine the guilt or innocence of those accused.
“The integrity of the electoral process for the voters of New York City must be preserved.”
(Note—Cox has since called on Savino and Tabone to resign)

GOP CANDIDATE FOR COUNTY EXECUTIVE LEGISLATOR ED DAY

“Our county and state have been hit by bipartisan political scandal and arrests today – Democrats in Spring Valley, Albany & Queens; Republicans in Albany, Queens & the Bronx. While the accused are certainly innocent until proven guilty, these sort of backroom double dealings are exactly why I have been pushing to bring open and honest governance to this county, with the same ethical leadership I have demonstrated in police departments and the corporate world. Mold can only grow in the darkness; it cannot survive when light is shined upon it.”

RAMAPO COUNCILMAN AND DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR SPRING VALLEY MAYOR DANIEL FRIEDMAN 

“Like many Spring Valley residents, I am deeply disturbed by the federal charges against the mayor. The public deserves a government that will never abuse its trust. I will continue to fight for a more honest and open government that places the interests of residents above all else.”

STATE SENATOR DAVID CARLUCCI (D-ROCKLAND/OSSINING)

“Like many New Yorkers, I am shocked and outraged over the alleged misconduct undertaken by various public officials at the state, city, and local government. This conduct is reprehensible in its entirety, and public corruption in any form cannot be tolerated at any layer of government.

“I look forward to hearing the details of this wide-ranging investigation as they begin to unfold. As the United States Attorney had indicated, in no way whatsoever was I, or any member of my staff, involved in the alleged criminal misconduct and subsequent charges filed this morning. On the contrary, these actions speak to a broader, more fundamental reason as to why I ran for office in the first place – to clean up the culture of corruption that pervades our politics.

“Three years ago I came to Albany to shake up the status quo and bring change to our State Capital. While we have made great strides since, there clearly remains much more work to be done. I am committed to working to reform our system of government in a way that increases transparency and holds public officials accountable to the people they serve.”

SENATE INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATIC CONFERENCE LEADER JEFF KLEIN (D-BRONX)  [Political boss of Malcolm Smith and David Carlucci] 

“These are very serious allegations that, if true, constitute a clear betrayal of the public trust. As a result of these charges, I have made the decision to strip Senator Smith of his committee assignments and of his conference leadership position. By participating in the alleged scheme, Senator Smith breached the trust of the Independent Democratic Conference. I trust that the U.S. attorney’s office will act expeditiously to resolve this matter and to ensure that justice is served. Finally, given the level of criminality alleged, I believe that Senator Smith should seriously consider whether or not he can continue to effectively serve his constituents.”

ASSEMBLYMAN JAMES SKOUFIS (D-Stony Point/ORANGE) 

“I am disgusted and disappointed to hear the allegations made this week against a number of state officials. I decided to run for office because I believe in public service so it is disheartening to see elected officials brazenly disregard the public trust for personal gain. I am hopeful that justice will be swift and severe. We need to send a strong message to all elected officials that if you violate the law and the trust instilled in you by the people that there will be consequences. We owe it to the people we are privileged to represent.”