More on the sex harrassment accusation in the 99th
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- September
- 4
CLARIFICATION ADDED (see below)
The state Assembly’s ethics committee is reviewing a sexual harassment complaint brought against Assemblyman Greg Ball, R-Patterson, according to this Associated Press story.
Ball has denied the sexual harassment claim. In today’s story on LoHud.com and in The Journal News, Dan Weiller, a spokesman for Assembly Majority Leader Sheldon Silver, says that if such a claim exists, it would prompt an investigation. As the AP story points out, the Democratic majority in the Assembly automatically refers such a claim to the ethics committee for review.
Ball and Republican John Degnan are locked in a nasty race for the GOP line in Tuesday’s primary.
CLARIFICATION —— Weiller called me to explain that a complaint isn’t automatically referred to the ethics committee for for review. Speaking in broad terms, he said the receipt of a complaint about sexual harassment prompts an investigation by the counsel for the Assembly majority. After that investigation is completed and depending on the findings, the matter could then be referred to the ethics committee.
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on Thursday, September 4th, 2008 at 1:31 pm by Mike Risinit.
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Greg Ball is slowly being exposed for the fraud that he is. It was just a matter of time before people starting hearing the facts about the “King Manipulator/Fraudâ€. Let’s recap, in the last week Ball has been accused of stalking people, harassing people, sexually harassing woman, claiming he had a sexually transmitted disease, and threatening to ruin a woman’s career. Yes folks, this is your current Assemblyman Greg Ball.
these things all of a sudden came out right before the primary…
Don’t you think that is a bit odd.
And this women who is putting these claims against Ball is a nut. Their is a lot of proof out there and people are writing statements against her as we speak.
Im not a Ball fan but I know this women and she is nuts. Start asking around Pawling she doesn’t have a stable reputation.
If the woman is so nuts as you say, then why did Greg Ball hire her? Why was the woman working for a school district for so many years as an Administrator if she is so nuts? Greg Ball is the master of being a spin doctor, he may try to spin this and say the woman is nuts, but I believe her comments 100%. I have experienced first hand Greg’s rude and despicable behavior toward others. Greg Ball asked me if I was molested as a child and threatened me, the video of the threat and comment can be seen on Youtube, type in “The real Greg Ball”. I am neither nuts nor intimidated by Ball and his henchman. Greg Ball is a terrible Assemblyman and has done nothing for our district except make a lot of noise.
Robert Buckley
but even if half the things that have been said about Ball are true… he’s nuts. He has to go.
Robert, your behavior is equally despicable. You and “Truth About Greg Ball” are sending threatening letters to the homes of people who write letters to the editor showing Greg Ball. That is not democracy.
Mr. Ball has not leveled a single personal attack on John Degnan in this race. Not one. It has all been about the issues.
Ummm Duh so where are these statements you say? Tell us about them and name who is writing them.
After reading the story in the Journal News, the letter seems very sincere and truthful. Took some courage to come forward and speak up and Ball probably will try to scare this woman.
Joseph-
Calling someone a slum lord is a personal attack. Saying that the same person took illegal campaign funds (an outright documented lie) is a personal attack. Those are just two things Assemblyman Greg Ball has said that were lies and personal attacks. Do you really think your posting here is going to further Greg Ball and his campaign? Forget it! Most people here know EXACTLY what Greg Ball has done, and most importantly, not done. You are supporting a serial liar and fraud. Greg Ball puts the ASS in ASSemblyman.
I will say this to you very clearly, I do not like Greg Ball, he is a mean person who has no respect for anyone. As far as my involvement, you can find my involvement in this effort to defeat Ball on Youtube under the name VoteBallout or you can become a member of my mailing list at Defeatball2008@aol.com, if you wish to be added to my e-mail send me an e-mail. As far as any other involvement, please stop fishing.
Greg Ball has no respect for woman or his constituents. As far as Ball running a clean campaign that is a bunch of hogwash.
Ball has sent out several mailers with a picture of another individual on them and told people that it was John Degnan.
Ball continues to make false allegations about John Degnan and tries to discredit John Degnan’s record with lies and more lies.
Ball sends out a robocall to the residents in the 99th Assembly District and places Mrs. Leibell (the wife of Senator Leibell) name and phone number on the person’s caller ID who is receiving the call. When Ball is asked about it, he claims it was a mistake. Ball is a fraud and a liar.
Whenever Ball is caught doing something dirty or wrong, Ball will always state:
“It is was an oversightâ€, “It was an honest mistakeâ€, “The graphic designer made the mistakeâ€.
Ball always places blame on others and never accepts responsibility for his own actions.
•Jut like the $10,000. he got from the Polo Charity Fund for kids in Washington DC and the money was placed in his campaign fund.
•Just like his behavior with his ex-girlfriend in Washington DC who states that Ball threatened her, stalked her and told her had a sexually transmitted disease.
•Just like the woman who left his staff after Ball asked her questions about “Anal sexâ€.
Ball always finds away to justify his actions by trying to redirect the attention onto others.
Speaking of juicy drama, why is it that no one has questioned Ball’s assembly staff member, Matt Neuringer, about his campaigning on NYS taxpayer time? The 2007 SOS campaign was run out of the assembly office on job time.
If this Neuringer used the assembly office for balls campaign work. Sounds highly illegal. This is what should be investigated.
To Juicy Drama
If you evidence of such a thing, please write Speaker Silver and let him know.
Actually Somers Republican little Matt ran the Team SOS campaign out of Ball’s Assembly office in Carmel. Probably even worse than running his own campaign from there.
Anyone been to Ball’s picasa web site lately, he has removed almost all images of Team SOS and especially Rights from the site. Maybe things aren’t as rosy in Ball Land as he would like us to believe.
I believe that the kingdom of Ball is about to end here in Putnam, I just feel for the folks in the next area he tries to take over. He won’t stop, he will go elsewhere and try again.
If people know for a fact that the campaign for this SOS was run out of a state assembly office then they should write a letter to the powers in Albany and let them know. Talk about violation of ethics for an elected official. Let’s hope those in the know come forward and write letters.
He had no problem taking her money from her though, did he? So she’s nuts and not stable, but I’ll take $1400 from her and give her a job… give me a break.
Regarding running the campaign from their Assembly office, in their own smear attempt, they proved it themselves. They show that the polls for SOS were on the Assembly computer.
Think about it. If nothing else, we’re paying for both Greg and Matt’s gas to drive around and campaign. It’s disgusting.
works out fine. This woman has been complaining about the way Greg treats people for a long time. She just added this detail after hearing about the restraining order against him from the DC woman. It makes perfect sense. She realized that Greg Ball is a worse person than she even thought and felt the need to speak up louder.
is so innocent. Why do his own people continue to leave him? If you want to blame all of the outsiders on some conspiracy theory, fine. It doesn’t explain why everybody who gets close to him leaves.
Lots of concerns.
1. Campaign work being done in Assembly Office
Using??? phones, computers, copiers, printers???
2. Employee Neuringer being paid by the state to do campaign work???????????????
3. SOS stuff on computer in Balls office that he says FBI should investigate?? Yikes he self incriminated himself.
4. Staff leaving. WHY? Because? What can other staff say besides this woman who came forward.
5. People write this stuff on here and if they know they should write to the powers in Albany and complain. If not, they should not complain if doing nothing.
Somers Republican, stop and listen to the taped conversation and look at the emails in the video. Ahler and DiFrancesco are discussing campaign materials, Ball states he went to the FBI about stolen campaign poll data in fall 2007. Was Ball running in Fall 2007? No,, however his hand picked henchmen aka TEAM SOS was. SO what pertinent campaign poll data could DiFranceso allegedly stolen and sent to Lynne Eckardt that could be Ball data? Ball asserted that the mole was planted by Leibell and DiFranceso worked inside Ball’s office so the computer that DiFrancesco allegedly broke into had to be in that office. SO hasn’t Ball admitted he was running the TEAM SOS campaign from the state office for the 99th Assembly District in Carmel? Isn’t the evidence right there in that story? Think about it.
Yes it certainly does sound like evidence. It would be great if this could be followed up with the powers in Albany so that Ball can be completely investigated. Our tax dollars are being spent to pay his salary and if there is proof work was done on taxpayer dime, shouldn’t Albany ethics be looking into this? Do they need formal complaints from the actual people that witness or figured this out?
Actually again read the article about this in the JN. Ball and his father stated that they gave evidence to the FBI. Wouldn’t the FBI be the ones to turn this over to the State boys if what was done was illegal?
Good thing this isn’t the New York Times (or NY Post); otherwise we would be blaming Shelly Silver for the whole thing.
own person to blame for everything. Not only is he trying to deflect this from himself, he’s trying blame State Senator Leibell. Greg still thinks he’s going to go after his job. Ball needs to realize that his own career is finished.
going on, Ball is so clueless and has such (plural of his last name) that he’s also on the ballot next week to try and take over a GOP committee in a town he doesn’t even live in. He’s delusional!
deep-pocketed Supervisor seems to be in trouble again.
I just read this:
The DA has issued a Declaration of Deliquency against Mike Rights for his failure to comply with the terms of his DWI plea, namely getting into the rehab treatment.
Evidently he was supposed to go to “Arms Acres” in NY, found it too stringent, and unilateraly picked a rehab program in CT. He also won’t release his medical files…
He will be in Southeast Town Court on 9/16
too.
You folks up there apparently have quite a few dysfunctional
politicians…will the community do something about it?
How about a trade for our County Executive and fourteen players to be named later.
As long as one of them is not Fidel Castro, though in the old days he was a pretty good pitcher. The Westchester Legislature and Robo-Call King Andy Spano could be traded for a few pizzas, a six pack or two, and a bag of kitty litter. That way, it’s a fair trade.
that you have the Robo-Call King. We get one a day up here… it can’t possibly be worse than that.
We have a bottomless pit of money up here with Michael Rights. How can a group of people try and take over a town committee and afford robo-call after robo-call… flyer after flyer… all without even filing a cmapaign finance report.
Jiminy – They already have the (our) ten dollar cigar.
I can’t believe there are still people out there defending Greg Ball. I understand that there’s certain segment of our society that are in complete denial, and they automatically dismiss even the most undeniable evidence. There are women who look to marry inmates in prison that they don’t even know, all because they’re in denial about what type of person the inmate is. So I know that people like this exist.
But this has gone too far. That woman in the Order of Protection is not credible? Are you kidding? She has more credibility then Ball does, I’ll tell you that much. And what about that “JOINT STATEMENT” Ball claimed was coming out regarding this? Another Ball lie. YET ANOTHER LIE. But you’re in denial about Ball.
This woman who wrote this letter is completely credible. Has known Ball 30 years. Always liked him. Donated thousands of dollars toward his campaign. Left her 30 year career to go work for Ball. This woman has credibility. You’reoff base saying that the timing of this letter is suspicious. She never said it happened last week. She said it happened in April 2007. When she read the Orderof Protection, she came out with it. I know I’m dealing with some real ignorant people here, but she has credibility, unlike Greg Ball, who claims everything is a lie. And when the next order of protection is exposed? Will that be all lies too? At what point do you just admit that Greg Ball is a nut job and a fraud?
As far as Robert Buckley, the man deserves a medal in my book. You tell me what lies has he perpetrated against Ball? What has Buckley lied about? All he did was expose the truth. This is the first time I’ve ever heard of a conspiracy to expose the truth.
my neighbor just took down his Ball signs. People are starting to see the truth.
lets take the allegations one by one.
the order of protection no longer exists…the allegations
are not proven…nor admitted..nor does the lady still
maintain they are true..so lets be fair
the older woman waited how long until she decided to
go public with an alleged sexual harassment..five
days before a primary? not credible
on the other hand the divulging by ball of the private
home number of senator vinny leibell should be
questioned and for doing that he should be made to
account..subjecting the family to a barage of calls
is tantamount to encouraging aggravated harassment
it is certainly annoying and alarming to the family
and there was no reason not to direct the callers
to leibells assembly office in the district or to
his albany office but not to his home…
makes me doubt greg’s judgement since it is his voice
on the robo call..that would be a valid criticism
but is it enough to deprive him of winning over degnan?
To other poster, ‘some are coming around’
Your neighbor better be careful, Ball will have him or her arrested for taking down signs like they did with the NYC man story. As far as older woman, the story was she came forward after reading about the order of protection to alert people these types of accusations against Ball are for real. Maybe some people are really seeing Mr. Ball for the first time in two years.
One day you’re a Ball fan, the next day you’re bashing him. Now you’re waffling. Just admit it, Greg Ball is bad for district and bad for the GOP.
Greg Ball’s first two years in public office can be summed up by simply saying: all bluster, nothing settled. Despite his unrivaled desire to take credit without justification, his contribution to Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester Counties is sorely lacking. Moreover, his contribution to the public affairs of New York State is detestably poor. He is completely marginalized and isolated as a legislator in a legislative body in dire need of getting things done for the long-term benefit of the citizens of New York State. In this, his first re-election campaign, he has proven time and again he deserves neither our party’s respect nor our voter’s support.
Just when one thinks the standard of public discourse and conduct cannot go any lower, Mr. Ball lunges to further depths of impropriety. Here in the heart of the majestic Hudson Valley, in one of the greatest States of our nation, we deserve better from our elected representatives…much, much better.
never bashed greg..posed legitimate questions about his
robocalls..defended him against the sexual allegation
crap….you need to stop seeing things in black and white
and go to the greys..
There is nothing blacker and whiter than this race.
Greg Ball and everybody around him is bad for our town and district.
I heard that his mother recently told somebody that this area just isn’t ready for his type of politics yet, but there is a whole country out there.
PLEASE… go somewhere else!
Go back and watch the “Real Greg Ball” video on YouTube.
In the past most people commented on the “Were you molested as a child” statement.
What actually concerns me more is the “I’m more dangerous to you if I lose” threat.
Considering things that have just recently been brought to light, I think that shows the “real” Greg Ball.
before voting on Tuesday…
Why did nine of the “takeover” candidates drop out?
Where is their campaign finance filing with the Board of Elections?
Why can’t residents contact the “takeover” candidates directly?
Why is Greg Ball (a resident of Patterson) trying to get on the Town of Southeast committee?
How does a party committee “lower taxes”, “widen Route 22” or “fight illegal immigration”?
Who is paying for the endless robo-calls and glossy flyers?
Do we really need twice-convicted Michael Rights running anything else in our town?
the consultant’s bichon frise wrote:
September 6th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
You folks up there apparently have quite a few dysfunctional
politicians…will the community do something about it?
dysfunctional politicians is an OXYMORON
CUTE…
Thanks Consultant
I’m a big fan of yours and follow your blogging. I find you to be thoughtful,insightful,intelligent and quite witty.
I also enjoy your alter egos, particulary on the zherka pages
Pay no attention to those men behind the screen – they are just jealous of your ability to see the truth beyond party lines.
Why thanks very much ..I always appreciate it when someone
says something nice about the stuff we do…
we try to inform and entertain…some people don’t get
the latter…but you do and that is nice to know
regards mike
Perhaps the alter egos are not alter egos- especially when they are witty alter egos. :)
I would tend to agree with SmartPorpoise. Often, the Consultant’s idea of good humor seems to be related to an old ice cream truck.
As for Mahopac Mom, maybe she owes the Consultant some money, or maybe he sent her a bottle or two of King’s Ransom.
Haven’t seen the consultant lately, so don’t know if he’d qualify as a Chubby Hubby, but, on occasion, he has been known to take us down a Rocky Road. What’s Smores, he has an inclination to become a Mister Softee on certain pols who don’t deserve the Friendlys Vanilla treatment.
He’s “the friendly man who sells Good Humor, the ice cream kids all savor.”
The Consultant as Mister Softee? LOL.
Lotsa luck in THAT truck.
Do you think it’s odd for Greg Ball to be running for a seat on the Town of Southeast Republican Committee when he doesn’t live in the town?
yes
The choice in this primary can best be summarized in a single phrase: “Talk is cheap.” We’ve all seen the Ball signs and bumper stickers, “Illegal immigration is illegal”, but maybe we haven’t put much thought into what the phrase really means. The implication of this slogan is that, regardless of the complexities, nuances and costs, the underlying and most important determinant should be simply “the law is the law” and that we all have a moral and ethical duty to enforce it. It is a simple, unequivocal call to live our lives according to specific standards being made by an individual who, like so many other politicians, prefers the catchy soundbite while eschewing the rigors of living his own life according to these same higher standards.
If there is to be no debate regarding the issue of illegal immigration then there is to be no debate regarding stealing an opponent’s signs, harassing former girlfriends or female employees, drinking and driving, making robocalls that identify the caller as someone else, using charities to collect funds for a political campaign, illegally recording phone calls and stalking and surveilling political opponents. Ball, however, believes that the only illegal behavior that can not be excused or debated is that of everyone else. For Ball, his friends and his supporters, there is always an excuse, a rationalization or an imagined conspiracy.
Youve stated the case against greg very well…degnan
was not able to do that..
the voters can see the truth.
Interesting that Due Process no longer exists. The Hate Ball out of Office crowd all scream accusations with no solid proof of anything.
They questioned his Service record and can’t make it stick because the U.S. Air Force says he was Honorably Discharged.
They slander him as a stalker when his ex-girlfriend dismissed the charges a week later.
Sen. Liebell gives Ball his home phone number and now all of a sudden it’s his wife’s private number and he needs to have 24 hour police protection at tax payer expense because voters are calling him?
Now we have unfounded accusations of sexual harassment.
Isn’t it odd that someone who is accused of being such a fraud, liar, and criminal, no hard evidence is ever presented?
When the shoe is on the other foot, Mayor Degnan has absolutely no problem defending individuals who are accused of a crime. In response to the 24 year old who was arrested for “allegedly” molesting an 11 year old boy in Degnan’s own rental properties, Degnan himself made it clear that the key word was “allegedly” and that he would have his day in court.
However in a dirty campaign Mayor Degnan and his supporters have thrown so many dirty accusations at Ball it makes you sick. I have even had some of these Ball haters e-mail me telling me they have proof of some of their accusations yet they are willingly waiting to release it.
Give me a break.
It’s sad really. Degnan stated he was going to run a clean campaign on the issues. He has done no such thing. All he does is levy outrageous accusation after accusation at Mr. Ball hoping something, anything, sticks.
Again showing proof positive that Degnan and his supporters don’t understand how the law works in the United States.
Makes it clear why we need signs like “Illegal is Illegal.” Degnan’s campaign is all heresy, unfounded accusations, and hypocrisy with little to no focus on any issue whatsoever.
tonights election results made it clear that voters
are not interested in the personal foibles of elected
officials unless it impacts their job performance..
Degnan should get out of the race
Amen to that…
Kudos to Mike Edelman for insightful analysis this evening, really a super performance. John Goff was also splendid as usual.
It seems to me that all of Degnan’s voters from yesterday were the same ones who posted attacks on Ball on this blog. But it wasn’t even close to being enough. What a wipe out.
Thanks much I calls um as I sees um…but I still need
an olive from the branch for one of my martini’s!
November elections will be most interesting. Many voters will come out for the presidents election and this may have an impact on results in the 99th Assembly District if the democrats come out in numbers. Many people talk of more years under Republican rule. Who knows what’s best?
Of course Ball still has this harassment investigation going on so it should prove to be very interesting indeed.