Thursday, June 22, 2006

DeStefano Campaign Claims Fake Endorsement

The DeStefano campaign is claiming that the Malloy campaign faked an endorsement by a New Haven union.

From the Malloy press release, earlier today:
Endorsed Democratic candidate for Governor Dan Malloy, Stamford's Mayor, today received the endorsement of AFSCME Local 1303-393, representing workers at New Haven's Water Pollution Control Authority, in this year's campaign for Governor.

"Dan Malloy understands working men and women, he's the strongest Democratic candidate, and we're proud to endorse him," 1303-393 President Arthur Sandella said. Former 1303-393 Treasurer and current member, Ray Bradley, echoed Sandella's remarks: "Malloy is the clear choice. In my opinion, if you really look at it, his record is better with labor. DeStefano has pushed privatization, and it's hurt a lot of our guys. Malloy's also just a stronger candidate."

And from the DeStefano release a few hours later:
This afternoon Dan Malloy - Democratic candidate for governor – announced that New Haven AFSCME Local 1303-393 endorsed his candidacy for governor. Incredibly, the news release was inaccurate and the Local has not endorsed Malloy. What’s more, Malloy’s release fabricates comments from Local President Arthur Sandella.

Malloy’s news release quotes Sandella as saying, “Dan Malloy understands working men and women, he’s the strongest Democratic candidate, and we’re proud to endorse him.”

Sandella tells the DeStefano campaign today, “I never said that. There was no vote among members or the executive board. There was no endorsement.” As for having the Malloy campaign fabricate comments and attribute them to him, “that’s disrespectful.”

“We understand why the Malloy campaign would be so desperate for support from hard working men and women,” said Derek Slap – Communications Director for the DeStefano campaign – “but this is unfortunate.”

What is going on, here? I find it hard to believe that a campaign would just make an endorsement up.

Update

Brian Durand from the Malloy campaign said the following in the comments to this post:
To be clear...

The union approached the Malloy campaign 2 weeks ago (not the other way around), saying they wanted to endorse Mayor Malloy and hold an event to do so. They wanted to do it at noon today orginally, but then said they were worried because that was on the clock. So, they authorized a press release with the quotes from Mr. Sandella and Mr. Bradley. Our campaign sent out the release.

Some time after we sent out the release our campaign manager recieved a call from a reporter regarding Mayor DeStefano's release.

I think it's obvious what happened today. The union supported Dan Malloy, and once their intentions were public they came under enormous pressure from Mayor DeStefano and his campaign. Frankly it is a shame they had to endure that. However, those kind of tactics did not work for their campaign leading up to the Convention, and I don't think they will work to win this primary.

Someone is not telling the whole truth, here. I have my suspicions about who.

3 comments:

ctkeith said...

Brian Durand,

The only thing "obvious" is that Mallys camp totally screwed this up.

Before you accuse anyone of intimidation don't you think you should have at least one iota of evidence?

I think maybe you should be the first to go for your posts here and at MLN on this subject alone.

3 strikes in one day,YOU'RE OUT

ctkeith said...

stamfordpartisan,

People NOT employed by any campaign have every right to speculate about what went down and who pressured or intimidated who.

Brian Durand collects a check from Malloys campaign and better have EVIDENCE when he makes accusations of intimidation.If he doesn't understand that he shouldn't be in the game as a paid staffer.

What He wrote here and on MLN should get him fired uless he had a statement from one of the union guys involved.

The Malloy campaign sold themselves as Professionals and now they're falling apart like the house of cards they really always were.

David said...

Who cares? It is a small AFSCME local. It is only significant because it is in DeStefano's hometown. How about both of the Democratic candidates working together to bring Rell down from Olympus? How about a joint press conference on health care for the laid off workers at Leggo, Pfizer and/Winchester. How about making Malloy & DeStefano's campaigns relevant to people who have followed the rules their whole life and lose health care for them and their families?