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Schmitt’s Apparent Contamination Cover-Up Put Residents at Risk

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According to documents recently obtained by The Cornwall Democrat, Colin Schmitt had knowledge of PFAS contamination at New Windsor’s Butterhill Wells Water Treatment Facility during his 2018 Assembly campaign, but allowed the facility to pump water to residents for seven months after the NYS Department of Health informed the Town. It was only after Schmitt was safely elected and inaugurated to the Assembly post to which he now seeks re-election that the bad news was allowed to come out and the facility taken offline for remediation.

The evidence suggests that Colin Schmitt placed the importance of his 2018 campaign for Assembly above the health of New Windsor residents.

Schmitt became the $60,000 per year Chief of Staff to George Green, the ailing New Windsor Town Supervisor, in December 2017, within a month of his application for the position, with neither public notice of his appointment nor any vote by the Board. According to the “New Position Duties Statement” filed by New Windsor with the Orange County Human Resources Department (who subsequently rejected it), Schmitt was to oversee “multimillion-dollar projects such as [the] new water source...already in development.” That source was Butterhill Wells.

Test reports from NYSDOH at Butterhill indicate the finding of contamination in samples taken in September 2018. An article authored by the eventual remediation contractor cites the fact that the Town was verbally notified in September of that year.

What "oversight" could Colin Schmitt possibly have performed to allow a water project, begun with full knowledge of the potential for PFAS contamination, to go forward without sufficient testing? Not only is there no excuse, but the evidence shows that test results revealing contamination were kept from the public at a time when both water was being pumped from the new plant and, coincidentally, Schmitt was running for the Assembly seat he now occupies.

Now the Town of New Windsor is facing lawsuits from 102 residents resulting from the contaminated water, as well as the added expense of the filtration system required to make the “cleaner, better tasting, more dependable, less expensive” water safe for residents to drink.

Just as Donald Trump puts his career, image, and personal gain ahead of all else to the detriment of our safety, so too does self-serving Colin Schmitt. A contaminated water supply, easily covered up, is no big deal to a politician bound and determined to wield power and avoid consequences, even at the cost of his constituents' health.

Ironically, Schmitt has since been appointed to the Assembly Minority Task Force on Water Quality.

Two Things You Can Do to Protect the Vote

Republicans nationwide are working overtime to suppress voting, cause confusion and uncertainty about the results, and pave the way for Trump and his criminal enablers to remain in power illegitimately in the event of a Biden-Harris victory.

We can all prevent them from succeeding. Here are two ways:

Before the Election

Answer a few questions to see about becoming a credentialed poll watcher with the NYDLC.

After the Election

Starting on Election Night, November 3, and continuing as long as necessary, Americans will mobilize to ensure that a full and fair count—and a peaceful transfer of power in the event of a Democratic victory—will take place. Here’s the consortium of organizations we’ll be watching.



Pete Buttigieg Endorses James Skoufis

Pete Buttigieg Endorses James Skoufis

Rhodes scholar, Afghan War veteran and former South Bend mayor and presidential candidate (and current Biden bulldog on right wing news outlets) Pete Buttigieg has endorsed our State Senator for re-election. Here’s the no-nonsense video.

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Young Democrats’ Deliberations: The Case for Kamala Harris

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by Isabella Crow

As a Black and Indian-American woman, Kamala Harris has accumulated many firsts: she was the first Black woman to be elected district attorney in California, the first female California attorney general, and the first Indian-American senator. And now she is the first woman of color to be selected as the Vice-Presidential candidate of a major party. 

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Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden’s decision to pick a Black woman as his VP likely was intended, at least in part, to soothe the frustration that many young voters feel about the inevitability of electing yet another old, white, and male, president. However, his selection arguably embodies the assumption that identity politics—i.e., that all marginalized people vote the same, and within their demographic—will be enough to secure him the non-white, female, and/or young electorate. However, some are keenly aware that the admittedly revolutionary nature of Harris’ candidacy can, and does, coexist with a flawed political history, fraught with carceral policy. Her prosecutorial background, and the controversial policies she enforced during that tenure, are admittedly off-putting to some progressive voters. However, while Harris may not be the left-wing vice-presidential pick many had hoped for, she has given us ample cause to remain optimistic. 

Kamala Harris has one of the most liberal voting records of the 2019 senate. She has also teamed up with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to cosponsor a groundbreaking climate equity bill and has condemned no-knock warrants and chokeholds while calling for a reimagining of public safety. By all accounts, she is a bright and compassionate person, and her progression along the political spectrum should be cause for excitement among young Democratic voters, rather than apprehension. Harris and Biden can usher in a brighter future for America, and it’s time we give them our full support.

Judge Lynn Beesecker: A Town Justice Who Loves the Law

Judge Lynn Beesecker has been hearing cases for 30 years, as Cornwall Town Justice and prior to that as Supreme Court and New York City Court Appointed Arbitrator, hearing overflow cases from local courts.

While on the bench, Judge Beesecker has continued his longstanding involvement with organizations that support the quality of life in Cornwall. From his Main Street law office, he has also continued to provide quality legal service to the community, as well as pro bono free legal service to non-profit organizations and numerous senior citizens.

Learn more about Judge Beesecker here.

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Republicans Leave Trail of Lies and Hypocrisy from D.C. to Cornwall

Republicans from Trump to Schmitt Attack Democracy

For years, the GOP has been playing the same old con game with the American people. In 2017 their discredited “trickle-down” tax cut just got rich people richer while it blew up the deficit. They tout “family values” to deny freedom to Americans based on gender, race, sexual preference or identity, yet too often are caught violating their own rules. The same people that advocate for gun ownership to protect against government tyranny defend shooting Jacob Blake in the back because he “might” have had a knife. Led by Donald Trump, they say that armed anti-lockdown protestors are just exercising freedom of speech but Black Lives Matters protestors are lawbreakers. They say they’re pro-life, but the mother they forced to give birth cannot afford healthcare for herself or her newborn or is not able to get contraceptives through her health insurance. To the Republican right, 12-year-old Tamir Rice’s toy gun was a threat to police officers, but Kyle Rittenhouse’s assault rifle got him an attaboy and a water bottle. These dishonest themes, promoted from the top of the GOP’s ticket, are being played out in elections across America.

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Those double standards are standard GOP practice right here in Orange County, too. Look at our own Assemblyman, Colin Schmitt, who has taken his cues from Trump since he entered the Assembly. He has voted against every bill that promotes police accountability. The wrongheadedness of those votes was driven home by the death of Daniel Prude, an unarmed black man killed for having a mental health crisis in Rochester.

And while he professes to be a staunch defender of American values, Schmitt stands alone as the leading New York legislator in terms of voter suppression. Schmitt was the only member of the Assembly to vote against a bill (A.10807) which allows voters to apply for an absentee ballot more than a month before election day. Schmitt, a member of the National Guard (as he is quick to point out), even voted against an earlier bill (A.779) that ensures the timely transmission of ballots to military voters stationed overseas. Of course, since Schmitt has never served overseas in uniform, he probably doesn’t recognize how long the mail takes, so he just follows the Trump playbook.

Meanwhile, Schmitt’s leader continues to show Republican hypocrisy on a scale that would make Richard Nixon blush. Trump claims to be the “law and order” candidate while he pardons and commutes the sentences of his convicted political allies, like Roger Stone. He has even gotten the Justice Department to act as his personal attorney in a rape-related civil suit – at taxpayer expense!

And Schmitt’s not alone, even in Orange County, where 30-year Republican politician, Chair of the Orange County Legislature and State Senate candidate, Steven Brescia, was caught accepting illegal campaign contributions from a local business. While Brescia claimed accepting a donation 50% too large was an oversight, it strains credibility for a veteran politician not to know what the corporate contribution limit is. 

So, if a Democrat is suspected of any wrongdoing we hear, “Lock her up!” When a Republican violates the law they say it is “just a mistake.”

This year, we Democrats say, “Vote them Out!” 

Judge E. Loren Williams for NYS Supreme Court: A Judicial Veteran with Perspective

Judge E. Loren Williams has been a Judge in Newburgh City Court for seven years. He has handled civil, commercial, landlord/tenant and criminal cases.  

Judge Williams presides over five special, problem-solving courts in the City of Newburgh (Drug Court, Veterans Court, Opioid Intervention Part, Domestic Violence Court, and DWI Court). “The law applies equally to all who come before the Court, but I believe a Judge’s personal experience and values shape their decisions.”

Check Your Absentee Ballot Status

This utility offered by the Orange County Board of Elections will tell you the status of your absentee ballot.

This week ballots began being mailed to those who requested them. You can still request your mail-in absentee ballot until October 27 (Nov. 2 if requesting in person). Under COVID-based regulations, when requesting your absentee ballot, you may check “temporary illness” if you are voting by mail because of COVID concerns. After you get your absentee ballot, your completed ballot must be postmarked no later than November 3 to be counted.

Learn all about voting by mail here.

Local Democrats Announce Infrastructure Improvements

In September, Senator James Skoufis, with Town Council Members Virginia Scott and Josh Wojehowski looking on, announced the Bridge Street reconstruction project. Before the year is out Bridge Street will be landscaped and open to pedestrian traffic.

At the same event Supervisor Richard Randazzo announced a major renovation project at the traffic circle which will include enhancements to the 9/11 Memorial and a new bridge on Hasbrouck Avenue. 

Senator Skoufis also spoke about the ongoing work on the area’s 9W bridges. Work that began at least four years ahead of the state Department of Transportation’s original estimate, due in large part to our Senator’s persistence. 

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The Colin-oscopy: An Examination of Colin Schmitt’s Record

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By Isabella Crow and Michael Kochler

America is reaching a critical point in its reckoning with law enforcement. As with any hot-button issue, the solutions have been polarizing: on the left, cries for racial justice are intertwined with calls to restructure policing; the most conservative policies advocate for the expanding of department budgets and police authority. However, at the imagined middle ground of this debate, is policy that aims to make police officers more accountable to the public they are bound to protect and serve. A Conservative might admit that accountability is a commonsense approach—a Progressive might call it the bare minimum.

Colin Schmitt calls it a bill he will vote “NO” on. 

  • S.03595 established the Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office, designed to provide avenues for recourse after police malpractice. Schmitt voted no.

  • S.08496 authorizes Disclosure of Law Enforcement Disciplinary Records which would prevent “bad apples” from being continually promoted or employed. Schmitt voted no.

  • A.10609 required courts to compile and publish data on misdemeanors and violations and law enforcement departments on arrest-related deaths. The law will lead to a public record of the number of arrest-related deaths; the race, ethnicity, age, and sex of the individual; the location where the death occurred; and a brief description of the circumstances surrounding the arrest-related death. Unsurprisingly, Schmitt voted no.

  • S.06601 required Police Officers to Provide Medical and Mental Health Attention required to persons under arrest or otherwise in custody and would allow a person who was denied such attention to pursue civil litigation against the offending officer. This bill became all the more relevant in the wake of Daniel Prude’s death in Rochester. Schmitt voted no. 

  • A.05045 amends criminal procedure laws to waive certain surcharges and fees for defendants under the age of 21. Inexplicably, Colin and the entire Republican caucus voted no.

The common thread between all of this legislation is that it was designed to provide the same amount of accountability from police officers as we expect from the rest of society. These bills would make our communities safer and our law enforcement stronger; and yet, as a knee-jerk Republican reaction, Schmitt voted no on any bill that even hinted at police reform. 

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Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney for NY-18: Principled, Professional, and Smart

Sean was elected to represent the Hudson Valley in 2012. He quickly built a reputation for working across party lines to invest in and improve our infrastructure, strengthen the health and financial security of America's retirees, and keep the United States safe and free. He successfully won tax relief for small businesses in the Hudson Valley that bring good jobs to our area, and brought investments to our communities that improve our schools, make our highways and Metro North safer and more reliable, and hire more police and firefighters and give them the resources they need to keep us safe.

In the current Congress, Mr. Maloney has been unsparing in his opposition to the corruption and ineptitude of the presidential administration while still working to find common ground within the House. Many will remember his pointed and effective questioning of Gordon Sondland, Trump’s ambassador to the EU, during the impeachment hearings. Further, his passionate defense of his family and stance against LGBTQ discrimination—more relevant today than ever—makes us proud to have him as our Congressman.

Learn more about Congressman Maloney here.