State judge throws out GOP rival Harry Wilson's lawsuit against Lee Zeldin

                                                                                

Left to right: Rob Astorino, Harry Wilson, Lee Zeldin, Andrew Guiliani (from CBS News gop debate coverage)


An Albany Supreme Court judge today dismissed a lawsuit filed by GOP outsider Harry Wilson against party-backed candidate U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin just as early voting in the gubernatorial primary begins tomorrow.

Justice Richard J. McNally Jr. slammed claims by Wilson, a millionaire businessman, that Zeldin violated campaign finance laws in seeking the party's nomination for governor. He wrote in a  7-page decision that Wilson's charges were baseless on procedural grounds, have "no basis in law and fact" and were "without merit."

He said to agree with Wilson's baseless claims would turn the court into "a pawn in the politics of a given election."

Wilson, former Westchester county executive Rob Astorino, Andrew Guiliani and Zeldin are vying for the party's nod in the June 28 primary.

Wilson, who is self-funding his campaign, was an economic advisor to former Democratic president Barack Obama and contributed to the political campaign of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a progressive Democrat.

Some Zeldin-supporting pundits suspect Wilson was recruited by Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul, the state's former Lieutenant Governor who inherited the top job when Andrew Cuomo resigned last August, to run as a spoiler against Zeldin,  who is leading his Republican rivals in the polls.

Hochul is facing a Democratic primary against U.S. Rep Tom Suozzi of Glen Cove and New York City advocate Jumaane Williams for the party's nomination. Polls put Hochul in the lead.

Wilson claimed in his 40-page lawsuit that Zeldin had "employed a number of unlawful finance schemes" to evade campaign finance limits.

Zeldin strenously denied the allegations and the judge agreed.

Wilson was represented by Manhattan lawyer Aaron Foldenauer. Zeldin's attorneys on the case were Jeffrey Buley of Voorheesville with longtime Republican elections lawyer John Ciampoli  "of counsel."


 

 


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