Letter to the Editor: Putnam Dem Chair’s Attacks Shouldn’t Have Been Allowed to Be Published

July 27, 2021 Examiner Media Putnam

While we do not ordinarily waste time responding to partisan political attacks, we, the undersigned members of the Putnam County Legislature, cannot let go unchallenged the contemptable and false statements made in a letter from Putnam County Democrats Chairman Scott Reing in the July 13 edition (“Most Putnam County Legislators Afraid to Stand Up to One of Their Own.”)

Reing claimed that Legislator Neal Sullivan’s comments at the July meeting of the full legislature were somehow disrespectful to his legislative colleagues and other elected officials. This is completely untrue.

Reing launched his personal attack because Legislator Sullivan methodically dismantled the deeply flawed arguments made by Reing’s fellow Democrat, Sheriff Langley, about proposed amendments to the county charter. When Reing spoke at the meeting, even he couldn’t defend the sheriff’s position, so instead, Reing berated Legislator Sullivan, just as he did in his letter.

Reing’s letter also falsely claimed that two Republican legislators spoke privately with him to express their agreement with his personal attacks on Legislator Sullivan. No such conversations ever happened.

But the most outrageous part of Reing’s letter was his scurrilous attack on the legislature that implied – without a shred of evidence – that one or more legislators have committed crimes that have gone unreported because of some vague “fear of retribution.” Such baseless accusations are improper and unbecoming of a party chairman and candidate for office in Putnam County. And as a lawyer, Reing should know that such false accusations are considered misconduct under the New York Rules of Professional Conduct, which prohibit a lawyer from engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.

While the Putnam Examiner chose to print this libelous part of Reing’s screed, at least one other Putnam County newspaper showed better editorial discretion in choosing not to do so.

Toni Addonizio, Legislator, District 3, Chairwoman
Neal L. Sullivan, Legislator, District 9, Deputy Chairman
William Gouldman. Legislator, District 2
Ginny Nacerino Legislator, District 4
Carl L. Albano, Legislator, District 5
Paul Jonke, Legislator, District 6
Joseph Castellano, Legislator, District 7
Amy Sayegh, Legislator, District 8