So, who is Langdon Chapman? This question needs to be answered. After all, Terry Bernardo, the newly installed chair of the Ulster Legislature, went out of her way to appoint Chapman as the new counsel to the chamber, this over the strenuous objections of attorneys in Ulster County.
Chapman, of course, doesn't live in Ulster County. He lives in Orange. So why would Bernardo go out of her way to appoint a carpetbagger? Well, for one, he's State Senator John Bonacic's chief of staff. Seems a little odd to have the chief of staff to a state senator providing legal advice to an allegedly independent legislative body, doesn't it? At the very least, there's the appearance that Bonacic's office will have a huge influence over the legislative agenda in Ulster County.
If that's not enough to give one pause, try this on for size: Chapman is also the planning board attorney for the City of Port Jervis in Orange County. If that's not enough, he's also the planning board attorney for the Town of Mamakating in Sullivan County. What? There's more? He is also the town/village attorney for the following municipalities: The Town of Bovina and the Town of Stamford (both of which are in Delaware County), and the Village of Liberty (Sullivan).
In addition to this, Chapman is also an associate at Bonacic's law firm, Bonacic, Krahulik, Cuddeback, McMachon & Brady, LLC, in Middlewtown. Just how many jobs does this guy have? And why was it so important that Bernardo appoint him? At whose request? I can't imagine that Chapman's appointment came as a result of a talent search. Seriously. They scour the local market looking for someone who's a good fit for the job, and the person they come up with is this guy? No. This is some sort of quid pro quo, with Bonacic's law firm the likely beneficiary.
I wonder just how much business Chapman steers to his boss's firm? Definitely worth looking into.
All cut from the same cloth: Bonacic, Chapman, Len Bernardo, Devil O'Halloran. Scheming, greedy bastards propping each other up.
ReplyDeleteArchived article from the Record:
ReplyDeleteDeclaring independence
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Published: 2:00 AM - 09/04/06
It's hard to tell where state Sen. John Bonacic's sphere of influence ends and where the Orange County Independence Party begins. The guy who now runs the county's third-largest political party, Langdon Chapman, is on the senator's payroll as his general counsel, after all.
Some Independence Party members say the change in leadership is part of a statewide effort by Senate Republicans to win influence over the party's valuable ballot line. The move is said to be backed by Independence Party leaders who hope it will shore up broader political support.
But after an unrelated news conference last week, Bonacic, R-C-Mount Hope, insisted he had nothing to do with his aide's ascension to the minor party's local leadership post. He called any suggestion to the contrary "spin."
Bonacic said he only knew two members of the Orange County Independence Party's incoming six-member executive committee. The other is Juliana LoBiondo, the wife of his son's law partner.
"It's an entity unto itself," the Mount Hope lawmaker said. "I don't micromanage that Independence Party."
LINK: http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060904/NEWS/609040327
Another article dated a few days after the 9/4/06 article gives a little more insight: "Orange County Independence Party, now led by former Republican Langdon Chapman"
ReplyDeleteLegal counsdel for the Town of Monroe as well. Has now draft a resolution supporting a state bill on the retirement system. Will the Ulster Dems be stupid enough to fall once again for this charade.
ReplyDeleteThe internet is loaded with educational information... check this link out!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://hudsonvalleytimes.com/pages/full_story/push?blog-truth+about+Independence+Party+of+Hudson+Valley%20&id=10125119
Andrew Winchell's Experience or Bonacic-Bernardo Axis of Evil
ReplyDeleteLegislative Assistant for Senator John J. Bonacic
New York State Senate
• Managed legislative portfolio and legislative activities
• Supervised execution of long term office projects
• Met with constituent and lobbing groups to discuss their legislative agendas
• Served as Committee Clerk for Senate Judiciary Committee
• Served as Committee Clerk for Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee
Director of Scheduling and Advance
Len Bernardo For Ulster County Executive
• Assisted in the decision making process with key campaign staff
• Implemented decisions and policies for the campaign
• Maintained schedule and day to day activities of the campaign headquarters
Remember Jeremy Blaber? This is from June 2008:
ReplyDeleteWill Someone Please Send Bonacic Back to Mount Hope
I can't understand why no one has come forward to challenge Senator John Bonacic. The guy is so vulnerable right now and in a presidential election, with huge Democratic turn out it is the best chance for the Democrats to take back the seat.
I think it's a mistake to leave this guy unchallenged, it will give him more time to stump and throw money at Len Bernardo, his chosen Independence candidate. Then again, he may not be that popular in Ulster County after an embarrassing loss two years ago to Susan Zimet in this county.
great article 7:59 but i had a hard time with the link - everyone should enjoy it is long but worth reading. I tried to post it here but it has more then 4096 characters so it can't be done.
ReplyDeleteto the keeper of this blog:
can you post that article here or make the link something that we can click on and see it.
thanks,
a loyal follower
Hudson Valley Times / November 01, 2010
ReplyDeleteTruth about Independence Party of Hudson Valley (1)
by demandequality
Uga bugga beware of the wolf man, or David Sager with a beard, warned the trick turning John – too long reigning RepubliTHUG NYS Senator John Bonacic (R-I-C) - in his sleazy propaganda junk mail that clogged my PO Box. The simple explanation for John's tricky accusation is right on David Sager's campaign site. What is not on John's campaign site is the explanation of his dirty political attempt to be unopposed one more time in the mostly Democratic Party registered NYS senate district.
John,and his ghouls of the undead travel in packs, led by Langdon Chapman, attorney to towns from Orange to Delaware County and beyond. Everyone who knows who Langdon Chapman is raise your hand. Everyone who has no clue who he is, pay close attention to this tale that makes the headless horseman look like a fun romp on a pony.
Now the reason you need to know who Langdon Chapman is that he controls who runs for office in these here parts of the Catskills, well not really but he would like everyone to think he does, but he knows that really his bossman John Bonacic controls who gets to run across the 42nd NYS Senate district, and the 19th and 20th Congressional Districts (where John does not rule) and 22nd Congressional District (where Congressman Hinchey is the incumbent). How does he turn that trick? Langdon and John decide who is on the Independence Party ticket.
Really? Here's where you need to take a sip of whatever you are drinking and pay closer attention.
But John has not tricked everyone. Way back in May, River Reporter's Fritz Mayer explained the John-Langdon connection when David Sager was being considered as the NYS Senate Democratic Party nominee, and John did not like that. Fritz wrote: "Pressure to prevent the nomination has reportedly been strong over the past couple of weeks. According to multiple sources, various elected Democrats in the state have been contacted by Langdon Chapman, who works in Bonacic's office and who is also a regional chairman of the Independence Party. Chapman has reportedly told the Democrats that if they support Sager's candidacy or if he gains the nomination, the Democrats risk losing their place on the Independence Party line this fall."Now what would Landgon Chapman have to do with this? Well he is Senator John's attorney, a paid senate staffer in fact, and often is his spokesman when reporters seek comments from John, like the time when John was accused of spending $300 of your tax dollars between January and June 2006 on Mass cards from Holy Apostles Mass Association in Cromwell, Conn., and John's spokesperson Landgon explained, "We regularly hear from people who appreciate the Mass cards."
Hudson Valley Times / November 01, 2010
ReplyDeleteTruth about Independence Party of Hudson Valley (2)
by demandequality
When John was still a partner of Bonacic, Krahulik, Cuddeback, McMahon & Brady, Langdon worked for him. Now Langdon works for John's son in the law firm and works for John in the Senate, but the connection is deeper than familial. Chapman is also the Independence Party of Orange county chair. He used to be a Republican. Wait how can that be – he is the Republican senator's attorney on the paid staff of a Republican and he runs the Orange county Independence party. Hold on- it gets way better. See to get on the Independence Party ticket, John explained this to me – keep reading and you'll see when – a 22-member state executive committee has to approve the nominee. Lo and behold who is on that executive committee – okay raise your hand if you think you know. The treat (well not such a treat) goes to the person who guessed Langdon Chapman. Now Langdon is a busy dude litigating for the law firm clients, running the Orange County Independence Party, serving on the NY State Independence Party executive committee, and wait for it, he is also the attorney for Port Jervis, Town of Monroe, the Town of Mamakating Planning Board and the Village of Liberty, all also represented by Senator John. Oh yeah, he is also the attorney for Bovina whose Town Supervisor Tina Mole who is also Vice Chair of Delaware County, and also SenatorJohn's Delaware County representative.
Such strange bedfellas all these people turning all these tricks.
So here we've got the chair of the Independence Parties of the Hudson Valley and on the Independence Parties executive board, and an attorney for all these towns also represented by John, and he is on the state senate payroll. But that's not the end of it, just the beginning in fact, as John got Langdon a gig as Counsel to the State Senate's Committee on Housing, Construction, and Community Development and representing the New York State Senate in meetings of the Governor's Small Cities Advisory Committee (it's right on Langdon's bio).
So maybe you are wondering what difference does all this make on Tuesday when you go to the polls to vote. Well I'll tell you.
Before photo-gate, when the Hinchey campaign said David could not post the photo I had taken of Congressman Hinchey and David, I had no idea what had been happening way back in April. I had no idea the Hinchey camp had been calling David trying to get him not to run at all. I certainly did not know that even Congressmen Scott Murphy (20th district) and John Hall (19th district) alleged that they were told if they didn't call David telling him not to run, that Langdon would keep them off the Independent Party ticket, and these alleged threats against John Hall were carried out as he is not on the Independence Party ticket. Some people even alleged that the state Conservative Party chair made some calls to them to call David and tell him not to run.
Hudson Valley Times / November 01, 2010
ReplyDeleteTruth about Independence Party of Hudson Valley (3)
by demandequality
Now I had emailed Langdon about that alleged threat made to Mr. Hinchey, that if he endorsed David (since he couldn't convince him not to run), Langdon would keep Mr. Hinchey off the ticket. All I heard back were birds chirping. Even Ulster County Democratic Party Chair Julian Schreibman could not believe that this happened - at least that's what he told me when he called me to ask me to stop blogging about Congressman Hinchey and the allegations made by his campaign. Julian did not believe that a woman told Billiam van Roestenberg that the Hinchey campaign told her not to put Hinchey signs next to Sager signs on her lawn. Never happened, he insisted. He explained to me that David went through a stringent nominating process since he was still a registered Republican when he decided to run as a Democrat, and he answered all the Democratic Party questions to their satisfaction including the only one that really matters to me – that he will vote for marriage equality and for GENDA.
When I asked John on his Facebook page about these allegations, his Facebook page disappeared (it's still disappeared). Ulster County Independence Party chair Len Bernardo insisted that this is a coincidence (I don't believe you Len). So I asked John at the League of Women Voters debate in Saugerties, the only debate he dared to have with David (John went to a buddy's retirement party instead of going to the NAACP sponsored debate last week) if the allegations by the Hinchey campaign that he threatened to keep him off the Independence Party ticket if he endorsed David Sager were true. John told me to ask Mr. Hinchey. I explained to him that was where the allegation came from, and I told him how his Facebook page disappeared when I asked him that question there. John said I must have asked a question his staff did not like. "I guess so," I said. John then explained how the Independence Party nominates candidates, he knew a lot about it, now I know why. And now you know, too. Oh yeah, then I told him I would never forgive him for voting against marriage equality, a constitutional right he believes is only for heterosexuals as he told the debate audience. He seemed surprised that I said that to him before I turned and walked away.
The John-Langdon connection does not end with threats to congressmen and Democratic Party officials. The connection runs as deep and far as the Esopus tributaries from the Hudson River, and the Delaware River basins during flood season, through conflicts of interest that abound in pay to play dastardly deeds around the district.
How can an Independence Party State Executive Committee member and Independence Party of Orange County chairman Langdon be on the paid staff of Republican Party Senator John Bonacic?
How can Langdon represent the legal interests of five towns that could be in legal conflict with New York State Senate decisions about funding, or other issues that might impact these towns?
Hudson Valley Times / November 01, 2010
ReplyDeleteTruth about Independence Party of Hudson Valley (4)
by demandequality
How can Republican Party Bovina town supervisor, Tina Mole, also be on the paid staff of John Bonacic, and also allow Independence Party Executive Committee member Langdon to be the Bovina town attorney, while also being on Senator John's staff.?
How can Independence Party Executive Committee member Langdon be the Mamakating Planning Board attorney, and be on the Republican Senator's payroll, and also litigate for the town against the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation?
How can Langdon be counsel to the State Senate's Standing Committee on Housing, Construction, and Community Development and represent the New York State Senate in meetings of the Governor's Small Cities Advisory Committee, and be John's counsel and spokesperson, and be chair of the Orange County Independence Party and on the state Independence Party Executive Board, and decide who gets to run as a Democratic Party nominee?
Langdon crosses all party lines, and if that's not illegal, ethically this stinks.
Why would any registered Democrats living in Delaware, Orange, Sullivan and Ulster Counties allow John and Langdon decide who gets to be on the Democratic Party ballot?
Why should you care that the Independence Party is turning tricks with John, and that John controls the Democratic Party? Let's see – because it is WRONG – that's why. John and Langdon have this cabal deal happening here, where they decide who is on what ticket, who gets to run and when, and use this bogus independence ticket as a guillotine over the heads of anyone who crosses them. They have everyone so scared that the Democratic Party chair Julian Schreibstein called me to tell me to dial back my accusations about the Ulster County Democrats not supporting David Sager. He assured me that no threats had been made against Maurice Hinchey by John or Langdon, telling me he called the Hinchey campaign and they told him that no threats were made, except that maybe Orange County Hinchey Campaign staffer Chris White was saying that stuff (he sure was). Billiam knew the woman who told him the person who gave her the Hinchey for Congress sign told her not put that sign next to the Sager for Senate sign. Billiam also knows about the calls he received to back off from doing the Sager for Senate fundraiser. Turns out that this was not only about denying marriage equality but also about denying election equality.
Hudson Valley Times / November 01, 2010
ReplyDeleteTruth about Independence Party of Hudson Valley (5)
by demandequality
Of course the John –Langdon reach goes all the way to the other side of the Catskill Mountain Range, with allegations of threats being made to Sullivan County NYS Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, who while running unopposed also won't endorse David Sager for senate. She's not alone in being a target of these alleged threats, with other party members from Sullivan County, as well as Orange, Delaware and Ulster County and in congressional districts outside of these counties all the way to Long Island, warning David that the John-Langdon intimidation monster reached out and kissed them, too.
So what other tricks are Langdon and John planning on turning that so many people in the Democratic Party in Ulster County are running scared, pleading with me to back off., worried about the reputations of standing Ulster County Democrats I might be ruining (with a couple of emails and blog posts)? Maybe we don't need to find out if John is turning any more tricks. Maybe we can confiscate his bag of tricks permanently. It's time for voters to stop paying for Langdon's Senate salary and the only way to do that is by firing his boss, John the trick turning Bonacic.
Bovina, Port Jervis, Town of Monroe, the Town of Mamakating Planning Board and the Village of Liberty should think about getting rid of their conflict of interest Langdon counsel, too. Maybe when Tina, Queen of Bovina, loses her John gig, she can do a better job for her subjects, or maybe it's time to give her a pink slip her too.
Registered Republican voters have also been royally screwed by the Langdon-John cabal, since they kept Republicans off the Independence Party tickets, just to make a deal with Maurice Hinchey so he would try to convince David Sager not to run, and when that did not work convincing Mr. Hinchey not to endorse David Sager for Senate. Along with Democrats, on Tuesday when you go to the polls you have a real opportunity to grab power back from the long reigning RepubliThugs John and Langdon, and here's what you could do to grab that power. Sit down at the table in your polling place with your pencil, and fill in only your party line – Democrats vote for Democrats only, and Republicans just don't vote Independence Party Now I hope the RepubliTHUGS lose but you need to send Langdon and John the same message as the Democrats. Leave the Independence line B L A N K – send a loud and clear message that you are onto their scam. Send John the message that his time for turning tricks is over – his senate seat brothel is closed for business.
Langdon is a little fat guy from Hunter area where he went to High School and everyone laughed at him. He got his law degree while working for the Senator and which we proably paid for. Winchell is Rascoes buitch from the Shawangunk area chair of the town committee even though he lives in Albany and uses mommy's address.Rasco's wife works for the Senator and a Dem from Saugerties also joins the motley crew. Bonacic was a legislator in Orange County and another wannabe Executive who could not make it so got shipped off to the Assembly first then the Senate to get rid of him from Orange County. It appears all these wannsbe and egos are hurting all the hard working people in Ulster County and we elect legislators dumd enough to follow them. Lets be real the job sucks so it gotta be your ego because they haven't done s#*t in the last 4 years
ReplyDeleteThank you to who ever posted that entire article regarding Mr. Chapman. I was a very enlightening piece. Makes me ask the question: does true democracy really exist? I would love to hear what everyone else thinks because I am losing hope with the conclusion that I have come to after reading that article. Someone please tell me: does TRUE democracy actually exist or is it nothing more than a facade?
ReplyDeleteWell we know it doesn't exist in Ulster County the rest of the country I can't speak for
ReplyDelete4:34 is spot on - there could be a democracy in Ulster County if people didn't capitulate to the threats by the Bernardos. All of the Bernardos power comes from Bonacic and Chapman. If the Republican caucus stood up to them and said "We can win without your line; and even if we don't, I'm not going to compromise my values...," then there would be hope. But with Len's threat that he (by proxy) wouldn't give them the I line next time around, they all quivered and gave in.
ReplyDeleteJust remember, Dave Donaldson ran on one major party line in a 4-way race. Madsen had 2 lines (Ind and WFP), and DiFalco and Walker each only had one line as well (Rep and Con, respectively). Donaldson got almost as much as the other 3 put together. If you've represented your district and constituents well and you've run a good campaign, you can win without the minor party lines. Why are the Reps so afraid of losing that I line? Wouldn't it be great if no one took it and/or no one voted on it?
6:21 - "We can win without your line; and even if we don't, I'm not going to compromise my values...," Great concept but one needs to have values in order to compromise them - it is quite apparent that these people have no values, morals, ethics, principles, integrity, (sense of) honor, decency, conscience, virtues, scruples, ... call it what you want but these people do not have it! Yet they continue to be elected and then they appoint more of people just like themselves - this is what we have running our County and making decisions that are suppose to be in our best interest... Ulster County voters need to WAKE UP and SPEAK UP!
ReplyDelete