FASNY: FOLLOW THE MONEY

Letter to John Callahan, Attorney for WP Common Council 11/1/13

Dear Mr. Callahan,

I am not a lawyer.  But, I am a very concerned White Plains resident.  Perhaps, you can explain the legality of campaign contributions to sitting common council members.  After reading the New York State election campaign website, I was shocked that both John Kirkpatrick and Tom Roach accepted campaign contributions from Geoff Thompson, a principal in the Thompson & Bender, Inc. FASNY's PR firm.  Mr. Thompson is the public face of FASNY.  His PR work while very slick is dangerously misleading and has confused many important issues.  Numerous other suspect FASNY donations were made to Common Council members that are listed in this NY state website.  Tip of the iceberg?

I expect that you will tell me there is nothing illegal in this activity.  However, Misters Kirkpatrick and Roach's unseemly behavior does not pass the proverbial 'smell' test.  After months of deafening silence by the Council on the FASNY issue because they were following the SEQRA process meticulously, this was a discordant emergency siren filling the White Plains neighborhoods.
  
I am not a lawyer.  But are these activities, this money changing behavior by an applicant to the very people, in this case, the Common Council who will be voting on this extremely contentious development, not considered grounds for recusal at a minimum.

I would appreciate a timely response particularly given that the election is five days away.

Thank you,
Anne M. Casey, M.D.

No response from Mr. Callahan.