Here we go. That dirty little election in the west Bronx that we’ve labled Levergate because of missing levers on some voting machines for all but the Dem Party Machine-backed candidate, is heading into court.
Hector Ramirez who lost by a whisker to Victor Pichardo in the Democratic Primary for the 86th Assembly District seat in the west Bronx, and other losing candidates charge the election was rigged, with massive fraud at the polls, ranging from the aforementioned missing levers to Pichardo’s mother as a paid poll workers allegedly steering voters away, to a number of other questionable issues.
Ramirez has already called on Gov. Cuomo and the U.S. Attorney to open investigations, but a civil suit with subpenas could very well be the first step that opens the door for official probes.
His attorney, Pedro Antonio Garcia, filed a civil action on Tuesday, seeking a show cause order as why there should not be a supervised vote recount to invalidate the election results, which saw Victor Pichardo squeaking by Ramirez by 72 votes.
Besides Pichardo, the suit names the city Board of Elections.
All parties are due in court Sept. 30 before Judge Ann M. Donnelly in Brooklyn, who is handling all matters from the Sept. 10 primary.
“I believe there was fraud in this case,” said Ramirez. “There were a number of problems with this vote. I want to see justice done for the voters and their civil rights.”
HERE COME THE JUDGES
No surprises here at the Bronx Democratic Party’s judicial convention Thursday, Sept. 19 at the Eastwood Manor.
With party consigliere Stanley Schlein directing, the scripted vote among the judicial delegates from the borough’s assembly districts went almost faster than the winners’ acceptance speeches.
On the Nov. 5 ballot: Laura Douglas, Norma Ruiz, Larry Schachner, and Julia Rodriguez.
ADOLFO
Adolfo Carrion is def no friend of the Bronx Machine these days, having dropped his Democratic registration to run for mayor on the Independence Party line in November. Question remaining is whether AC can even pull enough citwide votes to even be called a spoiler between Bill DeBlasio and Joe Lhota. A recent Quinnipiac poll gave AC two percent of the vote.
At an endorsement presser for DeBlasio just before the party’s Sept. 19 judicial convention, Party Boss Carl Heastie and Boro Prez Ruben Diaz Jr. pretty much told AC he’s dead meat as far as any political future in the Bronx.
To quote Diaz: “The reality is that Adolfo Carrion has abandoned the Democratic Party, and there is no way he can put together an operation in the Bronx”
That of course warns AC away from any particular citywide or congressional runs that may come up in the near future, lest he get in Diaz’ way.
BAD NEWS
For Assemblyman Eric Stevenson.
Businessman Igor Belyansky and three other Bronx adult daycare center operators, charged with conspiring to bribe Stevenson, just pleaded guilty to the charges, strengthening the feds case against Stevenson, who so far has been hanging tough.
The four were busted by the feds for allegedly passing $20,000 to Stevenson to grease the wheels to get their centers open and to sponsor favorable legislation in Albany.
KUDOS
To Tony Signorile and helpers for putting together a successful Bronx Columbus Day dinner at Maestros, a fundraising prelude to the BIG DAY, Sunday, Oct. 13 for the big parade up Morris Park Avenue. As Tony noted, it’s the second biggest Columbus Day parade in the city AND state.
WELCOME BACK
The Bruckner Bar and Grill, flooded out by SuperStorm Sandy, planning to reopen sometime in October after a one-year hiatus. Still some on-going legal battles between one of the former owners and the landlord over who pays for the damage.
STEPPING DOWN
Dawn Sandow stepping down as vice chair of the Bronx Republican Party, replaced by Mike Rendino, a one-time challenger for Mike Benedetto’s east Bronx Assembly seat and the borough’s new GOP rep to the city Board of Elections, replacing J.C. Polanco. Dawn’s been holding down the fort at the city Board of Elections for the past few years as deputy exec director (and dodging the critic’s arrows) until the recent appointment of new top exec Michael Ryan.
COP CORNER
Welcome aboard – to Capt. Paul Rasa, new C.O. at the 50th Precinct in Riverdale/Kingsbridge.
Congrats – To Sgts. Lawrence Harvey and Michael Raso of the Bronx Anti-Crime Unit , among the Sergeants of the Year Award winners at the Sergeants Benevolent Association. Responding to a report of a man with a gun, they spotted two suspects. One ran off while pulling a .357 revolver from his waistband and pointing it at Raso, who fired one shot. The gunman was apprehended. Harvey arrested the other suspect. (Raso has since been promoted to Lieutenant.)
HONOREES
The Liberty Democratic club in the 80th Assembly District honoring some election inspectors and electeds at the new PBQ Texas Style Smoke House on Morris Park Avenue on Sunday Sept. 29.
Inspector honoree Suzanne Piscitelli, coordinator honoree Lorraine Ritter, and elected honoree Senator Gustavo Rivera.
