Jim Russell campaign manager calls for Westchester GOP chair to resign • 10.29.10
Frank Morgenthaler claims to be head of a new group called the Concerned Republicans of Westchester and is calling for Westchester GOP chairman Doug Colety to resign.
Morgenthaler, who is also the campaign manager for Republican congressional candidate Jim Russell, held a news conference outside GOP headquarters in White Plains today and was the only one who spoke. He did not know how many members belong to his new organization, which formed this month, he said.
Russell is running against incumbent Democrat Nita Lowey in the 18th Congressional District. While he will appear on the Republican line on the ballot Tuesday, Russell lost party support after a controversial essay he wrote on race and religion came to light last month.
Morgenthaler accused Colety of supporting Lowey by directing 14 Republicans, including eight district leaders, to collect petition signatures for the Independence Party line for Lowey. He provided copies of the notarized petitions with the Republican names.
“Mr. Colety is not a true Republican,” Morgenthaler said. “Mr. Colety needs to leave right now.”
He also criticized Colety for initially supporting Paul Wasserman in the race against Lowey. Wasserman is a former Democrat who recently became a Republican.
Colety was not available for comment at GOP headquarters this afternoon.
(Frank Morgenthaler, head of a new group called Concerned Republicans of Westchester, held a news conference on Oct. 29, 2010 and called for the Westchester GOP chairman to resign. Photo credit: Theresa Juva)
