For Immediate Release
September 27, 2020
Contact:  Shaun Marie
518-356-7882 
www.cpnys.org      @cpnys

Brooklyn, NY — Conservatives meet in Washingtonville, NY (Orange County) on September 26, 2020 to reorganize, adopt rules and regulations and elect officers to serve for a two-year term as required by Election Law.

Gerard Kassar (Kings County) was unanimously re-elected to serve as Chairman for the two-year term.  Regional Vice Chairman James Thomas accurately portrayed Chairman Kassar’s leadership in nominating him when he said, “Jerry has only been chairman a short time but it’s been a busy time.  Lawsuits and a pandemic and virtual meeting.  But even then, he was able to move the party forward – reaching out to new audiences and expanding the party.”  Reid Robbins, Ontario Chairman noted that “There are very few reasons I would leave my family early on a Saturday morning and be gone all day.  The leadership of Jerry Kassar and his ability to eliminate distance among county leaders to advance conservative principles across the state, makes the trip pleasurable,” when he seconded the nomination.

Chairman Kassar, in accepting, said: “I wish to thank our State Committee for placing the faith in me to serve a second term. Together with the officers, Executive Committee, and members we will meet the challenges of the next two years as we met the many challenges of the past two. I am confident we will see victories and with that a much-needed impact on government.”

The following officers were also elected yesterday, Shaun Marie Levine (Albany County) as the Executive Vice-Chairman, Howard Lim, Jr. (Westchester County) as Secretary and Frances T. Vella-Marrone (Kings County) as Treasurer.

Eight State Vice-Chairmen, Daniel F. Donovan, Jr. (Nassau County), Hugh Fox (Westchester County), Thomas M. Long (Queens County), Ralph C. Lorigo (Erie County), James F. Quinn, Jr.  (Wayne County), Gregory S. Rigby (Cayuga County), Allen Roth (New York County) and Frank Tinari (Suffolk County), and seven Regional Vice-Chairmen were also elected.  The Regional Vice-Chairs are:  In the Capital District – Brian Gardner (Columbia County), in the Northern Region — Henry “Hank” Ford. (St. Lawrence County), in the North Central Region — H. Leonard Schick (Oswego County), in the South-Central Region – James M. Thomas (Broome County), in the Mid-Western Region — Jason McGuire (Livingston County), in the Western Region — Arthur Munger (Genesee County) and in the Hudson Valley – William Beckmann (Rockland County).

The Officers above also serve as the officers of the State Executive Committee.  The following are At-Large Members of the State Executive Committee:  Vincent Arcuri (Queens County), Stuart Avrick (New York County), James J. Barrett, Jr. (Schenectady County), Carol Birkholtz (Warren County), Ross Brady (Kings County),  Michael Buttino (Greene County), Thomas M. Casey (Queens County), David M. Curcio (Richmond County), Chung Dick (Kings County) Louis DeCicco (Chemung County),  John P. DeLessio (Orange County),  John E. Flynn, (Suffolk County), Robert  Fois (Westchester County) Edward J. Gaddy (Ulster County), Michael Garlock (Wayne County) John J. Hayes (Ulster County), Eileen Johnson (Kings County), Christopher J. Kendall (Madison County), Jim M. Kerr (New York County), Paul Kosowski (Nassau County), Edward A. Magilton (Sullivan County),  Charles R. Mancabelli (Onondaga County),  James Maxwell (Putnam County), Donald S. Mazzullo (Monroe County),  Patrick McManus (Bronx County), Donald Minichino (Dutchess County), Christopher Mistron (Nassau County), Scott D. Nasca (Monroe County) Demitry Edward Naemit (Rockland County) Reid W. Robbins (Ontario County), Laura A. Schreiner (Suffolk County),  John Seravalli (New York County) Michael E. Torres (Suffolk County),    Robert E. White (Franklin County),  Anna M. Wilcox (Chautauqua County) and Robert Zordan (Saratoga County).

The Members of the State Executive Committee serve as the governing body when the full state committee is not convened.  All members serve a two-year term.  The Members of the State Executive Committee appointed Ralph C. Lorigo, Esq. as Party Counsel, Eileen Johnson as the Assistant Secretary, Shaun Marie Levine as the Executive Director and Michael R. Long as Chairman Emeritus, for a term coterminous with the elected members.

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For Immediate Release
August 19, 2020
Contact:  Shaun Marie
518-356-7882
www.cpnys.org

 CONSERVATIVE PARTY ENDORSES JACOBS;  UNITED FRONT FOR NOVEMBER

Brooklyn, NY — NYS Conservative Party Chairman Jerry Kassar has announced that the Executive Committee of the NYS Conservative Party has upon a recommendation from Western New York Party leaders endorsed Congressman Chris Jacobs for re-election to Congress. The vacancy occurred when Beth Parlato was nominated for the State Supreme Court.

Chairman Kassar called the endorsement, “a logical conclusion of a process that allowed voters to express their preference. Chris Jacobs won that contest and now he will go on to represent the people of the 27^th Congressional District and New York State ably in Congress.  The NYS Conservative Party’s first and foremost priority is to elect qualified conservatives to Congress. Individuals who will vote to replace Nancy Pelosi with a new Speaker; one who will respect individual freedom, personal responsibility, and smaller government. I am confident Chris Jacobs is that person.”

Erie County Chairman Ralph Lorigo said, “The voters of the 27^th Congressional District were given a choice this year to select their preferred representative. They did so and selected Chris Jacobs. As a party official, I have always believed, we are here to promote the will of voters. I have known Chris Jacobs for a number of years. He has always shown himself to be an advocate for his constituents. I am glad we will work together with our Republican allies to defeat Nate McMurray and provide President Trump a strong voice for conservative values!”

Livingston County Chairman Jason McGuire described “elections being about choices. The Conservative Party preferred a different candidate in this year’s congressional primary, but that candidate was not victorious. The choices before us now are Congressman Chris Jacobs or a far-left candidate. We choose Rep. Chris Jacobs.”

Congressman Jacobs in accepting the endorsement stated, ”America is facing a major decision in November and conservatives are stronger when we are united. I am proud to have the endorsement of the Conservative Party and I look forward to continuing to work in Congress to rebuild our economy, restore safety to our streets, and protect the rights and future of all Western New Yorkers.”

The Conservative Party in the 27^th Congressional District received over 34,000 votes for Congress in the 2016 Presidential election year.

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For Immediate Release
August 14, 2020
Contact:  Shaun Marie
518-356-7882
www.cpnys.org

Brooklyn, NY — Today we learned that the 9/11 Memorial and Museum will not display the Tribute of Lights on the 19^th Remembrance of America’s darkest day.

The two bright blue beams remind New Yorkers and the world that there is always hope that the future will bring peace through strength and vigilance.

Certainly the health of the individuals responsible for the display is important, however, in a city where millions of people have returned to work safely, adequate preparation could have and still can be made to protect the workers while respecting the 9/11 Memorial and Museum’s mission to commemorate the unbreakable spirit of New York and our strong belief that we shall never forget.

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For Immediate Release
July 23, 2020
Contact:  Shaun Marie
518-356-7882
www.cpnys.org  @cpnys

CONSERVATIVES CALL LATEST DEMOCRATIC ELECTION LAW CHANGE A BLATANT POLITICAL MANEUVER TO DILUTE LEGITIMATE VOTES.

Brooklyn, NY – Today will go down in history as the day the Democrat controlled legislature changed election law to allow those who use the services of state agencies to automatically enroll as a New York State voter.

Voting is one of the privileges a citizen in New York state has and a responsible citizen takes the time to register to vote.  With the passage of this bill, New Yorkers, many who are here illegally and others who are not citizens of New York, will be automatically registered to vote just by their interaction with certain state agencies listed in the bill.  The bill tout’s automatic registration as a modernization of our current registration system, and states unequivocally that this proposal will increase the efficiency of voter registration, save money, increase the accuracy of voter lists, prevent disfranchisement of eligible citizens, promote greater participation and reduce incidents of registration and voter fraud, this has not been proven in states that have adopted similar legislation.

Automatic voter registration is a ruse to dilute legitimate votes cast by citizens who want to vote; those who take the effort to register and cast their votes.  Automatic voter registration does not guarantee the person is eligible to vote, as we learned when this same body enacted the Green Light Law.

The lack of accountability, again proven by the Green Light Law, increases the possibility of fraud, especially, if every aspect of this automatic voter registration is completed electronically which is available by this ill-advised political maneuver.

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For Immediate Release
July 20, 2020
Contact:  Shaun Marie
518-356-7882
www.cpnys.org  @cpnys

 Brooklyn, NY – State Conservative Party Chairman, Gerard Kassar, speaking on behalf of his membership and the majority of New York’s citizens, is urging the members of the New York State Legislature to withdraw the emergency powers they voted to give Governor Andrew Cuomo, in a budget bill, at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak.

“When the legislative members return this week, the first order of business should be to rescind the unilateral control — full authority over any state or local law – as long as it is related to the disease.   For example, just this past week, Governor Cuomo required restaurant patrons to order food if they want to buy alcohol, clearly overreaching the original intent.

“Businesses are doing their best to comply with the public health needs; however, the ever-changing requirements are making it incredibly difficult and extremely expensive to comply with the dictates of the Executive Order.

“The legislative members must take back their role as the representatives of their constituents and do what is best for them and the citizens of New York to get our economy back on track as well as the lives and mental well-being of the citizens of New York.  Should further action be required, it must take place in each legislative house, debated on the floor, passed by majority vote, and sent to the Governor for his signature,” said Chairman Kassar.  “That is how our representative democracy is required to work, all three branches of government working for the good of its citizens. “

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For Immediate Release
June 29, 2020
Contact:  Shaun Marie
518-356-7882
www.cpnys.org @cpnys

Statement by State Chairman Gerard Kassar on Today’s Supreme Court Ruling:  Another Disappointment for Pro-Life Americans

Brooklyn, NY –  The Pro-Life Americans have been dealt another blow due to Chief Justice Roberts siding with those who chose not to protect the life of an unborn child when it struck down the Louisiana Law that sought to require doctors who provide abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of their clinic.  Challengers to the proposed law argued that it would limit the state to just one abortion provider at a single clinic.

Justice Roberts wrote in his concurring majority opinion that, “The Louisiana law imposes a burden on access to abortion just as severe as that imposed by the Texas law, for the same reasons. Therefore, Louisiana’s law cannot stand under our precedents.”

Justice Roberts failed to acknowledge that some precedents of the United States Supreme Court were wrong.

We agree with Justice Clarence Thomas who wrote in his dissent that, “Today a majority of the Court perpetuates its ill-founded abortion jurisprudence by enjoining a perfectly legitimate state law and doing so without jurisdiction.”

The Conservative Party of New York State will continue to advocate that life begins at conception and needs to be protected every moment of development until this precious life is safely delivered.

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For Immediate Release
June 19, 2020
Contact:  Shaun Marie
518-356-7882
www.cpnys.org  @cpnys

State Chairman, Gerard Kassar, Congratulates Robert G. Ortt on his Election to NYS Senate Minority Leader

Brooklyn, NY — “Congratulations to Senator Robert G. Ortt on his election as the new Republican leader of the NYS Senate by his fellow colleagues today.  Rest assured Senator, the Conservative Party of New York State, will be working hard throughout this election season to change your title to Majority Leader of the NYS Senate.

Your constituents have benefited from your strong voice.  Now all New Yorkers will gain from your leadership no doubt acquired from your honored military service. I am confident your private sector and governmental experience will be welcomed by all New Yorkers as we deal with a state plagued with a multitude of problems.

Senator Rob Ortt has been consistent in scoring well in our ratings.  His 2019 rating was 100%, along with Sen. Jordan and Sen. O’Mara, as well as being the highest rated Senator in 2018 with an 85% rating.

I look forward to working together on the issues that affect all New Yorkers now and in the coming years.”

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For Immediate Release
June 11, 2020
Contact:  Shaun Marie
518-356-7882 
www.cpnys.org   @Twitter

Conservative Party Formally Requests AG Barr to Investigate NY Nursing Home Crisis  Delivers Signatures with Request

 Brooklyn, NY – Conservative Party Chairman, Gerard Kassar, sent the following letter to Attorney General William Barr today asking for an independent investigation into why New York State has suffered over 6000 nursing home deaths attributed to COVID-19.

The letter notes that “The Governor, under pressure from families, the media, elected officials, and political leadership, acknowledged the problem by calling for the NYS Department of Health and the State Attorney General to investigate.  The Conservative Party takes exception with the State investigating itself.  We firmly believe that both the NYS Attorney General and the Commissioner of Health are political functionaries lacking the ability to act independently particularly when the Governor’s actions are a likely target of any investigation.”

The Conservative Party was an early proponent of an independent federal investigation, launching an on-line petition that almost 2000 people signed and a social media campaign that received over 35,000 interactions supporting a federal investigation into this horrific crisis in our nursing homes.

A copy of the petition is here.  The letter to Attorney General William Barr is below along with the Commissioner’s Memo.  AG Barr Letter
.   March 25, 2020 Nursing Home Directive

For Immediate Release
June 8, 2020
Contact:  Shaun Marie
518-356-7882
www.cpnys.org  @cpnys

DEMOCRATIC CONTROLLED LEGISLATURE MOVES  HARD LEFT ON PUBLIC SAFETY BILLS

 BROOKLYN, NY – The Democratic controlled NYS Legislature under the guise of a law enforcement focused session calendar brought to the floor for passage several notable anti-policing bills that endangers the residents of New York which the Conservative Party opposes.   There are two bills especially egregious and the party issued memos in opposition to S.8596/A10611  to repeal Civil Rights Law, Section 50-a and A.6144-B /S.6670-B which criminalizes police use of a choke hold in all circumstances.

In a statement Conservative Party State Chairman Jerry Kassar said, “If the Members of the Legislature adopt the bills being considered today, these two bills, as well as requiring a law enforcement officer or peace officer who discharges his or her weapon under circumstances where a person could be struck by a bullet to immediately report the incident,  changing Gov. Cuomo’s Executive Order of creating an office of special investigation within the office of the attorney general into law, that are designed to restrain law enforcement agents from properly performing their oath of office, they are giving groups like Antifa free reign in the havoc Antifa is seeking to create.

Peaceful protests are part of our history; anarchy is not.  Police protect peaceful protests; police have a moral obligation to stop those who support the anarchy taking place in New York streets.  If the democrat-controlled legislature continues the path they created last year when the criminal justice reforms passed in the budget, they will be aiding and abetting the anarchist determined to destroy the hope that brought millions to our state through Liberty Island in New York’s harbor.

See our legislative memo opposing the repeal of Civil Rights Law, Section 50-aLM 2020-005 Opposition to Repeal of 50-a CRL
, and establishing the crime of aggravated strangulationLM 2020 - 006 fixed

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For Immediate Release
June 4, 2020
Contact:  Shaun Marie
518-356-7882
www.cpnys.org  @cpnys

Statement by Gerard Kassar On Call to Defund  New York City’s Police Department

 Brooklyn, NY – George Floyd’s death never should have occurred.  The four men responsible have been fired and arrested for the malicious action – and lack of action – that lead to the untimely death of George Floyd.

The riots, across America, have led to more unnecessary and unwarranted deaths.  The riots in New York City (and throughout the state), the attacks on the NYPD and now the call to defund the NYPD are adding gasoline to a raging fire.

Defunding the NYPD is the worst possible solution and will ultimately create more havoc and destruction.

I am perplexed at the logic behind the arguments of democratic elected officials call for the one government agency that has a sworn duty to protect our city.  I truly wonder of the public’s perception of these same elected officials calling for defunding during riots and looting.

Peaceful protests are acceptable; uncontrolled rage, destroying businesses, throwing Molotov cocktails at police cars are not.

Defunding the NYPD allows criminal behavior to flourish and lawful citizens to become fearful of living in a city that would no longer be able to protect them.

The vast majority of law enforcement does not look at the color of a person when responding to a call for help; they respond and assess the situation and do what is right to deescalate it.  The men and women of New York’s Finest put their lives on the line every working day to protect the citizens of New York.  Should the radical idea of defunding the NYPD be adopted, who will protect the citizens when lawlessness reigns?

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For Immediate Release
May 13, 2020
Contact: Shaun Marie
518-356-7882
www.cpnys.org @cpnys

 STATEMENT BY CONSERVATIVE PARTY CHAIRMAN GERARD KASSAR ON OBAMA-BIDEN ‘UNMASKING OF GEN. FLYNN

Brooklyn, NY  – “An outgoing vice president has no business unmasking an individual named in a raw intelligence report, particularly when that person has served his country honorably for decades and is the presumptive National Security Advisor for an incoming president of the opposing political party.

“The fact that we are only learning this now demands the attention of the American people, regardless of political affiliation.  Seven unmasking requests were made by top Obama Administration officials between November 30, 2016 and Jan. 11, 2017, when President Donald Trump took office, in a clear attempt to find or manufacture dirt on General Michael Flynn, a prominent Trump supporter and advisor during the 2016 campaign. That speaks volumes.

“So does Mr. Biden’s blatant mistruth this week in denying that he was aware of an unmasking in which he was intimately involved.  Of course he was aware — he was part of it.

“The more one looks at what happened to General Flynn, the clearer his railroading by leading Democrat operatives becomes.  A full and immediate investigation is required.  The American public needs to know why the Democratic nominee for president just got caught lying.”

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For Immediate Release
April 24, 2020
Contact:  Shaun Marie
518-356-7882
www.cpnys.org  @cpnys


STATEMENT BY STATE CHAIRMAN GERARD KASSAR ON THE 
CONTINUING CORONAVIRUS CRISIS IN NEW YORK CITY NURSING HOMES.

 Brooklyn, NY – Publish reports  on Coronavirus patients admitted to Queens nursing home – with body bags, is both shocking and heartbreaking.  Shocking to think that this happened at the direction of Governor Andrew Cuomo Health Department that handed down a March 25 directive that bars nursing homes from refusing to admit “medically stable’ coronavirus patients.  Heartbreaking because we will never know how many of the 30 residents who perished after the nursing home was forced to admit two patients with CONVID-19 to the previously free of the deadly disease.

Governor Cuomo appeared to deflect the state’s role in the unusual high number of deaths in nursing homes during his presser on Thursday when he noted it wasn’t the state’s job to protect patients in nursing homes, nursing homes have strict rules to protect their patients; this article paints a very different picture.

Yesterday, Governor Cuomo called for the state and the state attorney general to investigate the COVID-19 deaths at nursing homes.  An unbiased investigation is not possible when political functionaries are leading an investigation of this magnitude; the state is not in a position to investigate itself.

The federal government should impanel an independent commission to look into the allegations.

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