TRUMP TO NY GOP: NO TIME FOR CROOKS?
Did Trump 'Wave Off' NY GOP Chair and Letitia James-Supporting US Senate Candidate?
By Dick LaFontaine and Richard Luthmann
Former President Donald Trump made headlines on Thursday when it appears he conspicuously snubbed New York State GOP Chair Ed Cox and Senate candidate Michael Sapricone during a spontaneous appearance in Midtown Manhattan.
Cox, who is married to the daughter of former President Richard Nixon, has been tangled in several scandals. When Cox attempted to engage, Trump waved dismissively and continued on his way without acknowledging him.
The incident unfolded as Trump, surrounded by security and media, declared that he views New York as potentially winnable in the upcoming 2024 presidential election—a state not won by a Republican candidate since Ronald Reagan in 1984. Does Trump’s dismissive attitude towards Cox and Sapricone highlight a rift within the party?
It seems strange that Trump would snub the GOP Leader in a state that he’s looking to pick up on Election Day. But insiders say there is more than meets the eye. According to a well-known Manhattan Democratic Political Consultant, New York Republicans are seeing a “widening chasm” fueled by disagreements over candidate selections, party strategy, and the appearance of impropriety.
Speaking under conditions of anonymity, the consultant said, “Allegations of collusion, fraud, and forgery have surfaced, implicating candidate Sapricone in a complex network of questionable practices and associations.”
Easter Egg Hunt in NY GOP Politics: Luthmann Releases State Chair Ed Cox Bombshell On Frank Morano's Radio Show
Our investigation into these claims reveals a troubling pattern of behavior that may influence the upcoming primary elections. Was Trump’s Midtown snub a personal rebuff to Cox and Sapricone or a misunderstanding?
“Anyone who looks at that video and knows Trump will believe it was a strategic move to reassert his influence over New York Republicans. In Trump’s world, the highest values are loyalty, power, and political survival,” the consultant said.
The consultant feels some “bad blood brewing,” perceiving the potential for serious political damage.
The reference is Cox’s selection of Letitia James supporter Sapricone as the GOP challenger to incumbent U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Sapricone and his security firm have given over $150,000 to Democrat candidates, including the Trump Prosecutrix. In the recent Manhattan civil case brought by James’ office, New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron found Trump, his associates, and his companies liable for a victimless $355 million fraud.
“Letitia James. Peekaboo, I call her. Peekaboo,” Trump said, calling the AG’s “Witch Hunt” “corrupt” and calling James “Racist.”
Some experts say Trump feels he was sold a “bill of goods” by Cox, who never disclosed Sapricone’s previous support for Letitia James before the requested endorsement. On Cox’s recommendation, Trump gave Sapricone the nod, even though the candidate has a long history of supporting enemies of the MAGA movement.
"Trump is pissed because the Tish James contributions weren’t mentioned before the endorsement. And you would think that would have been one of the first issues addressed,” the consultant said. Several other insider sources confirmed this sentiment.
The contentious endorsement has alienated core GOP supporters and party faithful, leading to public criticism from former Congressman Peter King, who said that Sapraicone should step aside for two months.
“The right thing for [Sapraicone] to do is to withdraw from the race and if he doesn’t, I would ask President Trump to ask him to withdraw,” King said in a February interview.
Furthermore, Trump’s appearance coincided with ongoing tensions over the candidacy of Cara Castronuova, a former trainer on "The Biggest Loser" and a Trump supporter. Castronuova is vying for the same Senate seat as Sapricone but has faced significant opposition from party insiders.
“If Cara [Castronuva] makes the ballot, I’d expect Trump to pull [the Sapricone] endorsement,” the consultant said. “Cox will do everything he can to railroad her and avoid looking weak. The problem is, he gave the ‘hatchet man’ job to [John] Haggerty, who can’t help but invite controversy."
Reports indicate that John Haggerty, a convicted felon who went to jail for bilking Michael Bloomberg out of $750,000 and who is currently under investigation for election fraud and forgery related to the 2022 gubernatorial campaign, has been actively working to thwart her candidacy by challenging the legitimacy of her campaign’s petition signatures. Allegations of forgery and dishonesty have surfaced.
Documents obtained from the New York State Board of Elections suggest that Haggerty, acting on behalf of the Queens GOP, submitted questionable objections to Castronuova’s candidacy. This has led to further scrutiny of the GOP establishment’s integrity and the ethical standards of its candidates.
Further complicating the matter, Sapricone's legal representation includes Attorney and Lobbyist James Curran, who also represents individuals challenging Castronuova's candidacy. Among these are Queens County GOP Chair Anthony Nunziato and Carl C. Aliviado, Jr., a Queens Board of Elections employee, and subordinate to Bart Haggerty at the NYC BOE. Bart Haggerty, John Haggerty's brother, is also involved, sitting on the Queens GOP Executive Committee.
The alarming documents include general objections from the NYS Elections Board, which John Haggerty last handled before being sent to Albany. These documents raise questions about the authenticity of the objections to Castronuova's candidacy.
A report by handwriting expert and former NYPD Police Laboratory Criminalist Grace Warmbier has indicated that the signatures on these objections are "highly probably" fraudulent. Warmbier's analysis forensic document examination, developed from over a decade of experience as a Criminologist with the NYPD’s Police Lab, suggests the possibility of a deliberate attempt to manipulate election processes.
The report’s revelations cast a shadow over the integrity of Sapricone's campaign and those associated with it. Questions were raised about whether Sapricone was aware of the potential fraud carried out in his favor and whether he, directly or indirectly, participated in these actions.
In light of these serious allegations, there is an urgent need for transparency from all parties involved. Sapricone has yet to publicly address the claims of collusion and forgery or the implications of his connections within the GOP and to figures like John Haggerty.
We asked Sapricone’s representatives for comment:
From: Dick LaFontaine, Investigative Journalist
Date: On Thursday, April 25th, 2024 at 3:51 PM
Subject: Press CommentGood afternoon,
We are running an article about the NY Republican US Senate Primary.
We've spoken to several sources including Mr. Sapricone's opponent, Ms. Castronuova. She pointed us to filed NYS Board of Elections and Court documents that allege Mr. Sapricone is "colluding" with forgers, convicted felon John Haggerty, and other questionable associations.
Is Mr. Haggerty working in concert with Mr. Sapricone's campaign, either formally or informally?
Mr. Sapricone's lawyer, Attorney Curran is copied hereto. He also represents individual objectors to Ms. Castronuova's designating petition, Queens County GOP Chair Anthony Nunziato (copied) and Queens Board of Elections employee Carl C. Aliviado, Jr., who is Bart Haggerty's subordinate at the NYC BOE and is John Haggerty's brother. Bart Haggerty is also on the Queens GOP Executive Committee.
We are going to be publishing some of these documents, which are the general objections received by the NYS BOE along with the transmission envelope from John Haggerty.
Was Mr. Sapricone aware that John Haggerty is the last person to have his hands on the BOE objections before they were sent to Albany?
We also have acquired a report by a handwriting expert and former criminalist at the NYPD Police Laboratory. Grace Warmbier opines after forensic document analysis that the signatures on general objections "HIGHLY PROBABLY" were not written by the purported objectors.
Does Mr. Sapricone dispute Expert Warmbier's analysis and methodology, learned and perfected over a decade at the NYPD Police Laboratory?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ejkJTnXmIpfLy4BcJ6OqAn804ZJYyiM2/view?usp=sharing
Is Mr. Sapricone, wittingly or unwittingly, involved in "dishonest collusion" to exclude a fellow Republican from the ballot through underhanded means, as sources have alleged?
Does Mr. Sapricone have any statement about President Trump's apparent snub of him and NY GOP Chairman Ed Cox at this morning's midtown appearance?
One source says that if Ms. Castronuova obtains ballot access, President Trump is expected to rescind his endorsement of Mr. Sapricone. Does Mr. Sapricone regret his and his company's sizeable contributions to Democrats including Letitia James?
I want to give Mr. Sapricone - or any of his representatives or related parties - an opportunity to tell their side of things.
Thank you in advance for your time.
Regards,
Dick LaFontaine
Investigative Journalist
We received a response from Attorney James Curran, a lawyer and registered lobbyist for the Albany-based Brown & Weinraub, where he has worked for over five years. Before that, he was counsel to the NYS Senate Democratic majority in various roles.
His clients denied that the submitted documents were forged and pointed to recently filed affidavits by the objectors.
Hi Mr. LaFontaine, attached are two affidavits that were filed in Court this morning swearing to the authenticity of the signatures. At this point we are preparing for litigation regarding the continued knowingly false and malicious statements concerning allegations of forgeries and fraud rising to the level of defamation, libel, and slander. I anticipate this litigation will be filed soon as these statements continue to be asserted in both state and federal courts, in multiple sworn documents. I would consider this notice to you that these statements regarding forgery are false and publication may expose yourself or your organization to liability. Additionally, Ms. Warmbier has not been established as an expert witness, nor have her “findings” been introduced as credible evidence at this point in the proceeding. This matter concerns ongoing litigation so I have no further comment.
Attorney Curran gave “notice” that his clients were preparing to sue several parties - including the press - for “publication” of documents and allegations made in public court and administrative agency filings. Interestingly, Attorney Curran also emphatically stated his client’s position that Ms. Warmbier, the NYPD Police Lab-trained Criminologist for ten years, is not “established as an expert witness.”
We wanted to follow up on when exactly Mr. Sapricone and the Queens GOP decided to take an Anti-Cop posture, denying recognized law enforcement techniques and forensic document analysis. However, Attorney Curran said his clients had no further comment because litigation is still pending.
Cara Castronuova, representing herself in state and federal court, didn’t pull any punches.
“This is nothing but a disgusting and veiled threat by my political opponent and his well-paid Democrat Lobbyist lawyers. Forensic handwriting analysis is nothing new. An NYPD-trained criminologist with over a decade of experience in high-profile cases wrote the expert affidavit admissible in court. The Judge will consider the evidence as they do in thousands of cases in the New York courts each year,” Castronuova said.
She continued, “We made our assertions in a court of law with protection from being sued for slander and libel as all allegations were based on good faith, expert opinion, and apparent facts. We look forward to calling all the Democrats and Republicans as witnesses. I’d expect that list to include Mr. Aliviado, Mr. Nunziato, Mr. Haggerty, and my opponent.”
“My larger concern is how brazenly this group will attempt to keep rank-and-file voters from hearing the whole story on hypocritical candidates and officials. I stand for integrity, truth, and the rule of law. Those are our common values, and if given their constitutional choice and opportunity to vote, I know New Yorkers will stand with me,” Castronuova said.
Castronuova’s litigation partner in the EDNY case had more to say.
“We may have been inartful in court, facing the entire NYS GOP, Ed Cox, Mike Sapraicone, and their co-counsel, Attorney General Letitia James. We aren’t lawyers, and we are trying our best. But what we have submitted to Judge Reyes is embarrassing for them as it demonstrates how their dirty Queens Cabal works,” said John Tabacco, a political activist, Castronuova supporter, and Pro Se litigant in Brooklyn Federal Court.
“It shouldn’t be lost that Mr. Cox and Sapraicone’s attorney, Mr. Curran, is employed by Brown & Weintraub, one of the largest Democratic Lobbying firms in the State. What they are doing should ALARM NYS REPUBLICANS. They are fighting to throw a woman off the ballot and litigating against her in three venues. How the heck is a Trump-endorsed candidate, Sapraicone, standing side by side with DEMOCRAT NY AG Letitia James and Brown & Weintraub DEMOCRAT LOBBYISTS?”
He continued, “Ed Cox and his RINO lackeys are not only unrepentant, but they act dumbfounded when no honest, rank-and-file Republicans can trust them. Cara Castranuova takes the time to listen to what real voters want.”
“It’s going to come down to whether you want the Republican’s Republican or the Democrat’s Republican. Giving money to Letitia James with her ‘Get Trump’ agenda is a cardinal sin for anyone who purports alignment with America First values,” Tabacco said.
According to the Manhattan Democratic Consultant, Castronuova has a fair shot at remaining on the ballot. But her relief will probably come in court.
“The Board delivered their line-by-line today and has Castronuova roughly 1,400 valid signatures short. The fix is in there, and it would take some miraculous work to get her restored at Monday’s hearing,” the consultant said.
“But I can see her getting back on in court—if not up in Albany, probably in Brooklyn. The Town-City trap will give her back at least half the signatures she needs, and she’ll probably be able to cure enough to get back on. She has a state-wide race, and Molinari v. Powers is on all fours. When they point to Stoppenbach v. Sweeney and Prestia v. O’Connor, they forget that those were all congressional races.”
Ultimately, having Ed Cox as an opponent might become Cara Castronuova’s most unlikely asset for ballot access.
“Remember, no one in New York likes Richard Nixon’s son-in-law. With Kirsten Gillibrand in such a commanding position, if [the NY GOP] has to spend on a primary to save face for an already divisive candidate, it effectively thwarts what Trump - and only Trump - thinks he can do politically here [in New York State].”
https://www.silive.com/crime-safety/2021/08/trial-by-combat-lawyer-richard-luthmann-released-from-federal-custody.html