From The Politicker:In the wake of bribery charges being brought against the Queens Republican Party’s executive vice president, Republican Councilman Eric Ulrich is calling for former Congressman Bob Turner to the lead the party.
“I want to see Bob Turner as the next chairman and I want [Queens GOP Chair] Phil Ragusa to resign immediately,” Mr. Ulrich told Politicker. “I believe Ragusa has an obligation to step aside. The only person who can bring peace and bring people together is Bob Turner because of his integrity, character and ability to work with people on different sides. He’s very conciliatory.”
Mr. Turner lost his congressional seat in the decennial redistricting process last year. He has been a rumored candidate to replace Mr. Ragusa, who angered some party insiders when he ran a primary opponent against Mr. Ulrich’s State Senate bid last year–the latest in what has been an ongoing feud between the party’s two factions. For his part, Mr. Ulrich also tried and failed to oust Mr. Ragusa in 2011.
Mr. Ulrich further said he was shocked that his colleague, Republican Councilman Dan Halloran, was charged with participating in an alleged bribery scheme to land Democratic State Sen. Malcolm Smith in the Republican primary, but was not surprised Vince Tabone, the executive vice president of the Queens GOP, was arrested as well.
17 comments:
Is the Haggerty brother still the Chief of Staff for Ulrich?
Given how quick Turner was to abandon his seat and how lousy his Senate campaign was, I don't think he's the solution to the problems in Queens. Better than Ragusa, sure, but a stopgap at best.
Ol' "Squinty" replacing "Soup Strainer"
Sure. Why not.
Who cares.
The Queens Republican party
has been on life support for years.
Halloran just pulled the plug on it.
It doesn't matter who's going to head it up now.
Ulrich has a double standard -one for him and his Haggerty Ognibene crew and another for the Ragusa Tabone crowd. He's been called a hypocrite before and the label fits.
You mean like the one that Adam has for the Vallones and for Avella?
No.
the nyc/nys g.o.p. really hasn't the vote majority power to do major damage .
the rest of the (DICTATOR PARTY) can and will.
the prison cells are filling up fast.....with public servants.
sad...sad...sad....
attempt to discover the truth in the media's corruption reporting. some reports are already misinformation.
Anon No. 7:
Who has the majority in the State Senate? Who cut deals with Pedro Espada, Hiram Monserrate, Carl Kruger and Malcolm Smith to stay in power? Dean Skelos and the Republicans.
At best, they are aiding and abetting criminal activities. Realistically, they are partners in crime.
Ulrich wants to avoid being critical of Halloran's actions but goes full monty on Phil Ragusa who has not been charged with anything (and looks like he had nothing to do with this criminality if you read the federal complaint). It was Halloran who was the leader of this bribery conspiracy in which he roped in Tabone and Savino. Didn't Ulrich read the complaint? Halloran was the quarterback for this scheme...
How could Tabone secure a Wilson-Pakula for Smith if Ragusa wasn't on board?
My take on this:
Tabone originally wanted 100K for himself and 50K for the party. At some point, according to the complaint, he decided to keep the money for himself and screw the party. Read the complaint. I really think Phil was kept in the dark - otherwise, the feds would have charged him for bribery too.
Also, keep in mind what Tabone kept saying in the wiretapped conversations with the FBI undercover agent - that "he, and he alone ran the party...no one else." Tabone must have controlled everything. The Feds believed this to be true and probably determined that there was no evidence to link Phil to these crimes.
From what I can also extropolate from the complaint, I believe Tabone only promised that he would support Smith for the Wilson Pakula, he did not guarantee it. He wanted 25K upfront, and 25K after Smith got the Wilson Pakula, only if it happened. It did not obviously.
You have to also understand that the entire executive committee has to vote on the wilson pakula. The committee is comprised of district leaders and various officers of the executive committee. Tabone could theoretically have gone over Ragusa's head and speak directly to the district leaders himself. This, I believe was the option if he had gotten his 100K; he would have then used some of that money to bribe the leaders to vote for the party switch.
"...Phil Ragusa who has not been charged with anything..."
Phil Ragusa should be charged with human stupidity in the first degree.
He didn't/doesn't know what's goin on under his nose?
Yes, the blinders were full blown -Phil should be charged with stupidity...and gullibility. He has shown to be gullible at times and easily too trusting of people. He saw Tabone as a very competent and smart guy; boy, was he wrong.
it appears that most of the players did not know what was REALLY going on. except the FEDS and MOSES ($126 MILLION DEADBEAT) aka(C.W.)
i repeat ,what a bunch of SCHMUCKS.....
Get Turner in there already!
Clearly, the GOP is brain dead.
"Igor, go to the morgue and secure me a fresh brain".
Nobody can lead the Republican party now.
Dan Halloran has led it off the cliff.
"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall".
Dan has humped at least one of his staffers.
Into the abyss the Grand Old Party has fallen!
Your only consolation is that Dan's cellmate will
be ripping him a new one.
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