Chairman Wolfe files slander lawsuit against County Executive Day over mean words used in email spat

BY DYLAN SKRILOFF

Chairman of the Rockland County Legislature Alden Wolfe filed a slander lawsuit this week against County Executive Ed Day over an angry email exchange and the words Day used to describe it on Facebook.

County Executive Day confirmed the news when asked about it Wednesday night.

He told the Rockland County Times, “I was just served. The matter is being reviewed by my attorney and I am limited in commenting for obvious reasons. I will attack these allegations vigorously and show that it was Mr. Wolfe who overstepped his boundaries, thus necessitating his creation of this political sideshow that demeans the dignity of our county government.”

Back in September 2015, Day and several Democratic legislators got into a spat over internal transparency protocol between county departments. During the course of the mostly internal dispute some emails were released to the public and press releases issued.

Day accused Wolfe of slightly altering one of the internal emails in question before releasing it to the public. Day used the word “forgery” when he described Wolfe’s tactics on Facebook.

The use of this particular word appears to be the crux of Wolfe’s slander suit. As an attorney with a law office in New City, Wolfe claims Day’s accusation has harmed him professionally and he is due financial damages.

Wolfe has hired Dennis Lynch of the Feerick Lynch MacCartney and Nugent firm as his attorney. Lynch is also the assistant town attorney for Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence’s regime in the Town of Ramapo.

Day stated, “People see this for what it is – a politically motivated stunt about a year-old perceived slight. [It] speaks to Mr. Wolfe of the Ramapo delegation’s frustration that he cannot stop the good work of my administration, [which] is turning our county around. The fact that this Ramapo legislator, who has been nothing but an obstructionist since he became the chairman, is being ably abetted in this ridiculous escapade by the Town of Ramapo’s assistant town attorney just substantiates this in my view.”

While Lynch is no slouch in the courtroom, he does have a reputation for taking long shot cases.

Notably, should Rockland County Court Justice Thomas Walsh be victorious in his 2016 run for NY State Supreme Court, Wolfe is interested in a 2017 run for Rockland County Court. One wonders how he’d rule on his own case if his name was not attached to the lawsuit.

Day said he has brought the case to his insurance agency for a decision on whether it is a personal or workplace matter. If it is ruled to be personal business, Day’s insurance policy will cover legal costs, if it is ruled a workplace matter, county taxpayers will have to pay the county executive’s legal tab.