White Plains CitizeNetReporter - <i>The Pollet Plot:</i> Dem Committee Faces Rules to Kill Pollet Primary

WPCNR BACKROOM BULLETIN. By John F. Bailey. May 21, 2003. UPDATED 3 P.M. E.D.T.: The cozy little Democratic “backroom” at 170 East Post Poad in White Plains will be the scene of another contentious fray involving ethnicity and qualifications this evening at 7:30 PM when the Democratic County Committee of District Leaders meets.

According to sources familiar with the agenda, supporters of Kathy Davidson, an African-American with reportedly no family court experience for County Family Court Judge, will attempt to pass petition rules designed to make it more difficult for miffed nominee, Susan Pollet, who is white and has practiced extensively in family court, to collect 2,000 signatures on petitions needed for her to primary Ms. Davidson, the Democratic County Committee nominee in September.

Primary Prevention Plan

Maureen Keating Tsuchiya, Campaign Manager for Ms. Pollet, (and former Co-Chair of the New Castle Democrats), told WPCNR that Arnold Klugman of New Rochelle and Reginald Lafayette of Mount Vernon, supporters of Ms. Davidson are spearheading a movement to present petition rules that will complicate Ms. Pollet’s primary attempt.

Discriminating Against Whites AND a Conflict of Interest?

Adding to the drama of this primary prevention maneuver, is the spectacle of Mr. Lafayette, who is African American, being a party to the newly proposed petition rules, when as Democrat Commissioner of the Board of Elections, he will rule on their admissibility and appropriateness, unless he recuses himself and lets his Deputy Commissioner make the decision. Mr. Lafayette in his position will also be able to rule on the admissability of signatures signed on Pollet's petitions, which Ms. Tsuchiya alleges, is a conflict of interest.

Rules Seek to Limit Petition-Carriers, Who Can Sign.

According to Ms. Keating-Tsuchiya, the rules that Mr. Klugman and Mr. Lafayette are proposing would define the credentials of who could sign Ms. Pollet’s petitions, and also define who was allowed to carry petitions for Ms. Pollet.

Ms. Keating-Tsuchiya charged in addition that Mr. Klugman and Mr. Lafayette want Mr. Latimer to agree to prohibit any announcements of Ms. Pollet's campaign activities from being announced in Mr. Latimer's "News Splash" that is distributed to County Democrats. Klugman and Lafayette may feel that since rebel Pollet is not the nominated candidate that she does not deserve equal time in the official party publication.

Mr. Klugman, a strong Davidsion supporter, was furious at Ms. Davidson being challenged at the nominating convention, and precipated a mass walkout at that affair, when he told Democrats assembled, that he was tired of the issue of qualifications for office being raised when “a person of color” (Ms. Davidson) was involved. Ms. Pollet's supporters said that Ms. Pollet with her extensive family court practice was more qualified for the position than Ms. Davidson.

Mr. Klugman's blunt statement shocked many.

As Reported in WPCNR

The Pollet effort provoked controversy when she first contested the nomination of Ms. Davidson at the nominating convention of April 9.

On that evening of shock and awe, according to Ms. Tsuchiya, Jan Wells, speaking on behalf of Ms. Pollet, said Ms. Pollet was very qualified to be Family Court Judge, based on her long experience in court on family law cases as Senior Court Attorney in the Westchester County Family Court.

Mr. Klugman, who strongly supported Noam Bramson (the Andy Spano "pick"), in his primary against Ron Tocci last year, challenged Ms. Pollet’s experience, as opposed to Ms.Davidson's lack of family court experience, as a reason to primary, saying,

“I’m sick and tired of this obsession with qualifications, why is it the only time people primary is when a person of color is running?”

This statement was described as shocking to the gathering. Chairman of the Bedford Democrats, Mitchell Weingarten and the Co-Chairs of the New Castle Democrats, Adrian Kramer and Melissa Zuckerman abruptly walked out of the meeting after this statement.

Chairman Above Fray. Washing Hands?

Keating-Tsuchiya reports to WPCNR that George Latimer, Chairman of the Westchester County Democratic Committee has said he would “let the committee vote its will,” indicating to her he would not attempt to prevent the rules being offered.

“I’m just sick over this,” Tsuchiya told the CitizeNetReporter.

Ms. Pollet supporters can begin collecting signatures June 3, and have until early July to get their petitions in.

It is just two weeks since White Plains City Democratic Leaders voted to deny Eridania Camacho-Quinn the third Common Council Candidacy, much to the anger and hurt of Hispanics and African-American District Leaders who supported her, and had been lead to believe by the Democratic City Nominating Committee that they would nominate her.


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