Subpoena process begins

The reform Democrats and the contractor Conservatives are sweating over news that their budding candidate for the Democratic, Republican, Conservative and Independence Party nomination for Town Board, Lou Desso, had his name on a subpoena served on the Rensselaer County Board of Elections this week.

Word was spreading through their ranks that the special prosecutor in the county scandal involving Richard Crist and the use of county resources to run a commercial campaign enterprise called Victory Lane, had subpoenaed records from the Board of Elections. Desso’s name was apparently on the document along with several others including Robert Ashe and Leon Fiacco.

We said some time ago that the 2005 GOP town ticket was involved in questionable absentee ballot actions that undermined the minor party primaries in the Conservative and Independence Parties that year. Stay tuned for details which will likely follow as the corruption investigation continues with the diligent work of the Special Prosecutor’s Office which is the Albany County District Attorney.

We hope the Special Prosecutor is aware that Richard Crist fronted a campaign committee in 2005 called the North Greenbush Victory Committee. He collected thousands of dollars in contributions and never filed a second report or closed the committee, a violation of election law. The money came from development interests and because no further report was filed at the Board of Elections, we do not know how the money was eventually spent or if any went to his Victory Lane business enterprise which it is alleged was run out of the county legislature.

We also hope the Special Prosecutor is aware that candidates using Victory Lane gave their checks to the county GOP City Committee which then paid Victory Lane. The City GOP in 2003,failed to file financial disclosure reports during several years in which those expenditures would have been recorded.

The prosecutor should take note of the GOP City Council Caucus in which the city budget was discussed. Councilman Art Judge walked out in protest after Legislator Robert Mirch came to the caucus and told all that if they wanted the Conservative and Independence Lines they had to hire Victory Lane. Mirch was a partner in the business. That might be extortion but who are we to say?

And don’t forget the financial advice of Victory Lane book keeper John Harkin to Crist and Mirch. Buy computers with your profits so you don’t have to pay taxes. Could that be proof that they had no computers of their own and were in fact using county computers for their business?

Finally, don't llok to hard on North Greenbsuh Republican financial reports for payments to Victory Lane. Although Crist ran the entire campaign and ballot operation, there appear to be no payments made to Victory Lane. That is likely because he was paid by virtue of his appointment to the town payroll.

LATE ADDENDUM: The Record has a story today on this development. They have many more names on the subpeona and lack several others. We also learned that Robert Ashe's name is also on the subpeona.

Good luck fellas!