False advertising in senate race

From the Daily News:

An endorsement controversy has emerged in a contentious Queens primary.

The Daily News has learned that a clergy member and several unions that were touted on campaign material as favoring District 10 incumbent state Sen. Shirley Huntley are actually remaining neutral for the Sept. 13 vote.

Huntley (D-Jamaica) listed the Plumbers Union and Civil Service Employees Association as members of her “heavy union endorsements” roster.

Abraham Benjamin, a local CSEA organizer, was irate that his group was included on Huntley campaign material.

“It’s under-handed and disingenuous,” he said. “I have a problem with that. You never know if that will sway another vote.”

Apostle David Cockfield of the Battalion Pentecostal Assembly Church, who was mentioned on a separate list of faith-based supporters, was troubled by the error.

“It bothers me a lot. That’s false advertisement,” he said.

Huntley is facing competition from her own party with term-limited City Councilman James Sanders Jr. and candidate Gian Jones in a three-way primary.

Officials with Huntley’s campaign said endorsement error was an honest mistake.