Sunday, January 18, 2015

Abelove should not have touched Crist case


ABELOVE
In one of the most egregious displays of political payback I have ever seen, District Attorney Joel Abelove did not contest a request by Rich Crist, a longtime Republican operative, to dismiss charges of harassment and endangering the welfare of a child.
Crist was arrested for a July 11, 2014 incident involving his 17-year-old son, the culmination of a months-long disciplinary issue with the boy that included law enforcement. I’m told the kid took the family car for the night against the parents’ wishes and when Crist caught up with him in the parking lot of the Castleton Elementary School it became physical.
According to the Times Union, Child Protective Services determined there was nothing to warrant the violation harassment charges and the misdemeanor endangering charges stem from children who witnessed the incident in the parking lot of the Schodack school.
It was a weak case from the get go and the charges probably should have been dropped. But not by Abelove. Crist is one of the reasons Abelove beat Carmelo Laquidara for the seat he now holds.
As the TU astutely points out, Crist helped Abelove win the Independence Party primary. On that line, Abelove received 1,596 votes on Election Day. He won the election by 492 with 45,470 cast. 
CRIST
As such, Abelove should not have touched the case at all. But, Crist’s attorney, William Dryer, made a motion to dismiss the charges and Abelove didn’t challenge the motion in Sand Lake Town Court. The judge is not mentioned in the TU article but the case was bounced around a bit in an effort to find an objective jurist given Crist’s political activity in Rensselaer County. But there are two Democrats on the bench in Sand Lake.   
Crist makes $95,000-plus in his official role as the legislative liaison for the Republican majority, a position he’s held for some two decades. He is also the GOP’s most prolific operative, is the party’s de facto chairman and has a consulting business on the side.  In the past he has come under fire for allegedly doing political work out of the county office building using county staffers. He has worked as a consultant on a number of judicial and other races including those for statewide office and congress. He also serves as the Schodack Republican town chair.
There is no record of Abelove paying Crist for political work at the state Board of Elections but Abelove has not filed his January, 2015 disclosure statement yet either.
Abelove told the TU he saw no reason to recuse himself because most of the work on the case was done before he took office.
"And, he was not directly involved in heading my campaign," Abelove told the TU of Crist.
But Arthur Glass, who was acting DA until Abelove was sworn in on Jan. 1, said there should have been a special prosecutor appointed.
"You don't even want to give the impression of any impropriety," Glass to the TU.
Too late for that.

 

 

78 comments:

  1. 1-Laying off Gary Gordon for political payback.
    2- Helps Rich Crist with a "Get Out of Jail Free" card.

    What an upstanding guy and how many years do we have to put up with these shenanigans? Actions speak louder than words, he's not the good guy we all were led to believe. Sickening.

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    Replies
    1. You forgot about the 350 absentee ballots brought to the BOE by Rich Crist.

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    2. You bet, Darin. An investigation is loooooooong overdue and it's coming.

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    3. You bet. The former DA did an investigation. Gary Gordon bragged about it. They didn't get anything. Hmmmm. Ain't nothing there.

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    4. Have Guluski count them with his shoes on. No cheating!!!!!!

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    5. Wait a minute. Months of disiplinary issues with a 17 year old son, then he "STEALS" the car he was told he couldn't use and when his father catches up with him,it sounds like he beat his ass. SORRY,.. but I would have done the same thing. POOR KID? really? Thats why so many kids are disresptful, have entilement issues and are arrogant and rude. Because they were never given boundries or made to suffer consequences. If that was my son, I would have beat his ass too! The same son who IS a hard working, respectful man now. And he was spanked too. OMG....SPANKED as a kid... something unheard of now. Well... to all of you who are sick of the teens out there who are loud and obnoxious and rude .... you asked for it when you took a parents rights away to disipline them. And if you think Joel's decision had any basis other than what he felt was the right thing to do based on facts presented to him... then YOU get the facts before running off at the mouth. And if YOU are so damn smart, so much better, so high on your moral horse, why aren't YOU the DA? big mouths and bigger opinions from the arm chair section. ..

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    6. Given boundaries, like local,state and federal laws? Consequences of breaking the laws, NONE, if you know the DA. Is that what you are talking about, the example that was just set with his father and Joel? Daddy knows him, no worries. Good talk.

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  2. Someone should ask for am investigation into this. Where are the children's rights people. The dems they should grow some and do something

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    Replies
    1. I think more parents need to smack their kids MORE these days. Especially a punk kid.

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    2. Rich Crist is the one who needs a good smack

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  3. Ok, where do I start? First, Child Protective Services doesn't determine whether there is enough evidence for criminal charges. Their only concern is for the child. Second, an order of protection WAS issued. They must have had some concerns. Third, Rich Crist carried petitions for Joel Abelove throughout the county. He worked directly on Abeloves campaign! Additionally, Abelove ordered ADA Finan to dismiss the charges. The court record will prove the defense attorney for Crist didn't request the dismissal as Abelove suggests.

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  4. Get the court record. Abelove is stretching the truth here quite a bit. Furthermore, no work was done on this file or at least a minimal amount because it took months to find a judge to hear the case. He wasn't even arraigned on it until last month.

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  5. Pure unadulterated arrogance! 17 days in office!

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    Replies
    1. The GOP thinks voters are stupid. Joel's first acts in office are creating a $78,000 job for E Greenbush operative's son who has NO law enforcement experience, 55K secretary job for a Bugbee relative, and now immediately dismissing the criminal case pending against his own CAMPAIGN MANAGER. Really, WTF? He might as well simplify it and just walk around town flipping off the taxpayers.

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  6. Take care of your own, Uncle Fester!

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  7. Hey Joel, you better check and see if your old job at the health department is still open!

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  8. What a load of crap- Abelove was seen coming to speak to Christ multiple times before the election, so the contention he was not "directly involved " in Abelove's election campaign is a complete farse. And you seriously think Crists "consulting business" is not done on County time?

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  9. Hahahahahahahahahaha. Ha. Ha. Not even 3 weeks into the job!! Credibility out the window. Bought and paid for! Congrats taxpayers, screwed again!

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  10. Certainly sounds fishy. I guess it's one-one as McNally dismissed the grand jury when certain democrats in the BOE were to testify about Wade shaking them down. Republicans - Democrats = no hope.

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  11. Crist is Christ. Should have seen bobby run at gendrons

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  12. Oh give it up. There was no case and not wasting tax dollars Thanks for being fiscally responsible joel

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    Replies
    1. Typical GOP logic. Hell, let's throw out all the cases! That saves money too.

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    2. And this would be different from ???

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  13. Why are all you ploitical cronies so upset, this is how everything in RC politics works. None of you would even have jobs if it wasn't for politics.

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  14. Joel really knows how to stink up an office

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  15. Wish there was the same outrage when McNally let Wade off the hook !

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  16. Wish there was the same outrage when McNally was involved with McInerny, Mcdonough and voter fraud !

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    Replies
    1. Hey, Mac was just getting legal advice from an old friend

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  17. check the state board website rich crist has run almost all the judgeship campaigns. i know that he personally appoached the town chairs about joel. no record of consultation fees just means he is getting smarter about a paper trail!

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  18. how many afternoons did crist, bugbee and abelove spend in bugbee's office working on campaign? but i guess they'll say the were just talking about hay

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  19. Somebody call the Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaambulance. Lot of hurt feelings need tender love and intensive care. First stop, Norfolk St in Brunswick. Send one to Greenwich Washington County too. Looks like a couple needed in Brunswick, multiple hurt feelings. No injured egos in Rensselaer yet. Keep a waaaaaaaaaambulance on standby though.

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    Replies
    1. That's ok they got another guys kid out in Brunswick who will wack you with a log and gets away with that and so much more Because his daddy works for the City

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  20. Is this what we have to look forward too for the next 4 years? This guy is going to absolutely destroy this county...

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  21. Time will tell , it always does.

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  22. It's really an exciting time to commit crimes in Troy. We have a DA who has his head up his party leader's ass, and a city court judge who was suspended from practice for not opening her mail. Keep voting GOP folks!

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  23. What's sad is that Carmelo Laquidara was the right one for the job. Anyone who had a clue knew it, Dems and Republicans alike. But true to form, Rich Crist and the county Republicans were much more concerned with patronage than actual competence. The entire county building is a testament to their "screw the taxpayer" mentality.

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    Replies
    1. When you wrote "more concerned with patronage than actual competence" where you talking about the democrats in Troy?

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    2. Seriously!! Stop DWI coordinator? You know who held that job first?Sweeney. Political patronage at the taxpayers expense. What does a Stop DWI coordinator do, besides follow the county executive around like a puppy and jump when prompted? 50k a year plus benefits and retirement. For what? GOP run county is screwing Troy everyday. Ain't gonna stop anytime soon either. Good luck!

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    3. How true! Bugbee's sister @ 57k; Desso's son @ 78k.

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    4. 4:31-- Superhero give it up. Jim has done more for D1 than you ever did. Go chew on some other pant leg.

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    5. When Sweeney was Stop DWI coordinator, he went to law school in Mass. full time (days) while on the county payroll. That should tell you how the GOP regards that job.

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    6. Didn't Sweeney get a dwi?

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    7. How much has Gordon added to the tax base in the Burgh? Any? Or is it tax free development happening once again? Is that the more for you talk about?

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    8. Jim cowers in fear while Lansingburgh burns. Tedesco's lap dog. He's a joke.

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    9. Give it up Superhero, your pathetic taunts will be your downfall.

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    10. I see the law firm of Cooper, Cox, & Friedo are still very jealous of Mr. Gordons accomplishments for Lansingburg. Three pathetic losers, all with criminal records. And that's' a fact Jack!

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    11. What accomplishments in Lansingburgh? He couldn't even help keep Vito's tree up

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    12. Go ahead and run Fredo. We all know you'll puss out because you can't win and you know it. Wonder Woman can't save you . You'll make up another shit bird story st the last minute about why your too busy to run, because being the only McGrath who can't win in the Burgh is too much for your big ego to take.

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  24. Stay tuned for next week, when Joel hires Patricia D'Angelis to teach his trial attorneys how to not get overturned on appeal.

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  25. WHATWOULDGARYGORDONDO?

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    Replies
    1. Sit home in his living room heating his house with his stove and eating beans until lou calls him with a new patronage job as human resources director

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    2. Go back to collecting his $49,161 double-dip pension.

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  26. WHATWILLABELOVEDO? now with Martin Reid? You know! NOTHING! THATS WHAT, NOTHING!

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  27. http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Martin-T-Reid-s-benefits-scrutinized-in-6024541.php?cmpid=twitter - Will he touch this, or should he request a special prosecutor for it?

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    1. "Reid applied for unemployment compensation after he was forced out of his $73,000-a-year job in February 2013 as deputy director of governmental relations for the New York State School Boards Association, records show."

      Why did Reid get "forced out"?

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  28. can we screw a light bulb into Joels mouth ??

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  29. The massive egos and hubris of the GOP are in full view.

    The rules don't apply to them. Never did, never will.

    Disgusting - and a good man and public servant like Carmelo Laquidara lost to this slime.

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  30. All you people are tools!

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  31. You all elected this knucklehead! Just sit back and enjoy the show until the next f@$k up! It's coming soon and what's even funnier is Joel knows what it is. He just doesn't know when it's going to come out! Read the complaint knucklehead, it's on your desk!

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  32. He's a one term DA! If he makes it that long.

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  33. Somebody knows a lot about Lou Desso and his work schedule!

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  34. Well if Abelove won't prosecute Reid, the Feds will. In case he didn't know , use of a computer to defraud falls under the Federal Wire Fraud Statute.

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  35. Crist. Christ. No coincidence

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  36. Sleazy and arrogant. GOP all the way. Hire Zwack as your ethics officer and let's really bat it out of the park.

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  37. poor Abelove soold his soul to the devil. RICH CRIST

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  38. But Arthur Glass, who was acting DA until Abelove was sworn in on Jan. 1, said there should have been a special prosecutor appointed. Hey Art maybe you could have gotten Try Smith to do the job for you huh. It was such a slam dunk you couldn't take a violation and misdemeanor arrest to trial in six months. Losers.

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  39. Mahar steps down Russo steps in.

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  40. The next problem is going to be with Mahar

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    Replies
    1. The next problem will be with Deputy Mayor Ryan

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  41. Gary Gordon Vortex in full effect.

    Franco! Repost the tapes!

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    Replies
    1. Garbage can Gary!~~! Hahahahahahaha

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  42. The attorney general needs to step in here and fully investigate this. Charges must be brought against Abelove!!!!!

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  43. What about the city employee who got his wife a job in the office for his patronage to the campaign

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  44. Any one who commits Unemployment, Welfare or Workers Comp fraud in Rensselaer County in the next four years has a "Get out of jail free " card in their pocket thanks to Reid and Abelove.

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  45. Joel, are you going to present the Reid case to a grand jury?

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