Four out of five complaints filed by Republican state Senate candidate Bob Cohen against his opponent Democratic Assemblyman George Latimer’s campaign literature were found to be invalid in a hearing held by the Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee Tuesday.
The committee, which took up the complaints by Cohen, Latimer’s opponent for the 37th District, found that most of the mailers, including one that called Cohen a “slumlord” were “fair campaign practice.”
Cohen, who runs a real estate business and owns rental apartments in Manhattan, has been sued multiple times by New York City officials over gambling and drug operations out of his buildings.
“Based upon the totality of the information and documentation submitted, the Committee felt that there is sufficient documentation for the use of the word “slumlord,””the fairness panel ruled.
However, the political watchdog group found it was unfair to characterize Cohen as having violated state law.
“There was insufficient evidence produced of a conviction or finding that “Bob Cohen violated state law,” the committee said.
In one complaint, Cohen objected to a mailing saying it was misleading and inaccurate because it depicted a fabrication of a purported drug deal at one of his buildings.
The committee ruled the depiction was “campaign rhetoric,” and, therefore, fair.
