Right to the end, our local political analysts and pundits kept reporting on Bert Dunn's campaign on the Law and Order ballot line which "he created for himself," and allowed him to spin the lie that he was an independent who didn't owe anything to party bosses. Let's examine some facts. Dunn was endorsed by Jeremy (Boy Wonder) Zellner even though Bert openly stated that he wasn't a Democrat, despised Obama and Cuomo, and Ronald Reagan is his personal hero. While not all Democrats are enchanted with Barry and Andy, very few of us hold Reagan in high esteem. Wonder Boy's mentor, former Democratic Chairman Lenny Lenihan's "consulting" outfit, Glendale Associates, got an $8,000 payment from Bert to guide his glorious march to victory. A little research reveals that Bert is an opportunist who changes his party almost as often as his underwear. He is a lieutenant in Howard's sheriffs department and in line for appointment to captain, the highest level of civil service. He has openly supported Sheriff Howard, Carl Paladino and the Republican Party in the past. Bert has reportedly skated on some interesting high jinks during his police career, including driving stunts with his patrol car while on duty (http://www.politicsny.net/feature.php?id=97&c=2#sthash.KUrpHGIZ.dpbs). This is not the kind of guy who runs against his indulgent boss.
With Dunn as the endorsed candidate, Zellner's fellow travelers passed Democratic designating petitions and got Bert into the Democratic primary using the full resources of the Erie County Democratic Committee. But that wasn't enough. Unable to get the Working Families line for his Reagan adoring candidate, Wonder Boy led the effort to establish the Law and Order ballot line right out of ECDC headquarters. ECDC employees Elizabeth Abbott, Marisa Bartolatta, Kristen Bishop, Shea Brode, Michael Carbone, Jacob Deely, Siobhan Maloney, Jeffrey Sheridan, Christina Wasinger, Ta'Dia Wideman, and Andrew Woods circulated nominating petitions for Bert on the so called Law and Order line. They were joined by Wonder Boy himself, as well as Zellner pals ECDC Vice Chairman Margaret McLaughlin and NYS Health Department employee Robert Sienkiewicz. That's right, the ECDC Chairman himself circulated petitions to establish another party's ballot line! {See Petiion below} Joining this noble cause to establish an "independent" campaign for Bert were Board of Elections Democratic employees Michael Agostino, Thomas Gleed, Thema Haron, David Ksiazek, Harrell Little, Gary Pajonk and Adrian Pinto. When the Moreland Commission has some spare time, they might want to subpoena the Board of Elections employees to see if they were coerced to work on Dunn's independent campaign. I'm sure their interest in creating a new party is just a coincidence and they freely volunteered their time because they love supporting non-Democrats. As a final measure, ECDC employee Jeffrey Sheridan was listed on the cover sheets of the Dunn Law and Order nominating petition as the person to contact to correct deficiencies and the petition was filed by the above named Christina Wasinger.
Then something went terribly wrong. Bert lost the Democratic Primary. Who could have known that you can lose an election? By creating an independent ballot line for Dunn, Wonder Boy poisoned the well for any Democrat who might happen to defeat the headquarters selected Reaganite. Dunn's continuing campaign on the Zellner created Law and Order line following his Primary Election defeat by Dick Dobson doomed any chance for any Democrat to best the clearly beatable Sheriff Howard.
So let's sum up. Dunn was on the ballot in the Democratic Primary because party boss Zellner endorsed and petitioned him there. Dunn's Law and Order ballot line in the General Election was obtained by party boss Zellner. Without the efforts of Zellner, Dunn isn't even on the ballot, any ballot. So where is the independent here?
Unresolved questions remain. Was the Democratic Party endorsement for sheriff purchased, at least in part, by the eight grand payment to Lenihan? Did Zellner block the Working Families from endorsing Dobson? (Working Families had no candidate.) With the political genius of Lenihan on payroll, why was Dunn completely unprepared to counter late primary campaign television attacks concerning his previously reported Obama, Cuomo and Reagan comments? Was Dunn's campaign a serious effort or an expensive sabotage of any Democratic opposition to Howard's re-election? Dunn's future career path in the Sheriff's Department will be interesting to follow.
With Dunn as the endorsed candidate, Zellner's fellow travelers passed Democratic designating petitions and got Bert into the Democratic primary using the full resources of the Erie County Democratic Committee. But that wasn't enough. Unable to get the Working Families line for his Reagan adoring candidate, Wonder Boy led the effort to establish the Law and Order ballot line right out of ECDC headquarters. ECDC employees Elizabeth Abbott, Marisa Bartolatta, Kristen Bishop, Shea Brode, Michael Carbone, Jacob Deely, Siobhan Maloney, Jeffrey Sheridan, Christina Wasinger, Ta'Dia Wideman, and Andrew Woods circulated nominating petitions for Bert on the so called Law and Order line. They were joined by Wonder Boy himself, as well as Zellner pals ECDC Vice Chairman Margaret McLaughlin and NYS Health Department employee Robert Sienkiewicz. That's right, the ECDC Chairman himself circulated petitions to establish another party's ballot line! {See Petiion below} Joining this noble cause to establish an "independent" campaign for Bert were Board of Elections Democratic employees Michael Agostino, Thomas Gleed, Thema Haron, David Ksiazek, Harrell Little, Gary Pajonk and Adrian Pinto. When the Moreland Commission has some spare time, they might want to subpoena the Board of Elections employees to see if they were coerced to work on Dunn's independent campaign. I'm sure their interest in creating a new party is just a coincidence and they freely volunteered their time because they love supporting non-Democrats. As a final measure, ECDC employee Jeffrey Sheridan was listed on the cover sheets of the Dunn Law and Order nominating petition as the person to contact to correct deficiencies and the petition was filed by the above named Christina Wasinger.
Then something went terribly wrong. Bert lost the Democratic Primary. Who could have known that you can lose an election? By creating an independent ballot line for Dunn, Wonder Boy poisoned the well for any Democrat who might happen to defeat the headquarters selected Reaganite. Dunn's continuing campaign on the Zellner created Law and Order line following his Primary Election defeat by Dick Dobson doomed any chance for any Democrat to best the clearly beatable Sheriff Howard.
So let's sum up. Dunn was on the ballot in the Democratic Primary because party boss Zellner endorsed and petitioned him there. Dunn's Law and Order ballot line in the General Election was obtained by party boss Zellner. Without the efforts of Zellner, Dunn isn't even on the ballot, any ballot. So where is the independent here?
Unresolved questions remain. Was the Democratic Party endorsement for sheriff purchased, at least in part, by the eight grand payment to Lenihan? Did Zellner block the Working Families from endorsing Dobson? (Working Families had no candidate.) With the political genius of Lenihan on payroll, why was Dunn completely unprepared to counter late primary campaign television attacks concerning his previously reported Obama, Cuomo and Reagan comments? Was Dunn's campaign a serious effort or an expensive sabotage of any Democratic opposition to Howard's re-election? Dunn's future career path in the Sheriff's Department will be interesting to follow.
