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BABYLON- The newly elected chair of New York's version of
the Reform Party says he will steer a different course for the
Independence Party.
Frank MacKay, who was elected Friday to replace ousted chair Jack R.
Essenberg, said he wants to devolve power to local leaders and put an end
to
Essenberg's effort to replicate the Conservative and Liberal parties and
their policy of behind essentially cross-endorse mechanisms for the major
parties.
"I will travel the state and meet with local party members in their
home counties to let them know this is their party, not mine," said
MacKay. MacKay's election comes after months of infighting between
factions within the
Independence Party, which occupies line "C" on the New York
ballot. The matter came to a head Friday in Albany, when at a meeting
demanded
by a majority of the party's State Committee, Mr. Essenberg refused to
recognize party members and then stormed out of the meeting after his
attorney Thomas Spargo had served Committee members with a restraining
order, temporarily preventing the group from holding a meeting or taking
action. Later Friday afternoon, dozens of muzzled Committee members, who
had traveled
from all across the state for the meeting flooded the courtroom where
lawyers argued to have the order lifted. Arguments by attorney Gary
Sinawski and Harry Kresky prevailed and the restraining order was lifted.
The group met and promptly voted the removal of Essenberg and five other
members of the party Executive Committee.
While some have sought to portray the schism as an outgrowth of the
presidential contest between supporters of Donald Trump and supporters of
Patrick Buchanan, the matter is really unrelated.
"It was really a difference in philosophy. Mr. Essenberg wanted a
close-held party in which only he controlled vast fund-raising and
cross-endorse operations.
Meanwhile a majority of the State Committee preferred a system promoting
local control and a move away from the policy of trading cash for
cross-endorsements," said MacKay.
MacKay and others have long criticized Essenberg for failure to
communicate to Committee members what was going on in the party. Finances
have been kept in strict secrecy and Essenberg's recent support for Donald
Trump was seen as a means of accessing Trump's wallet more than an effort
to promote his candidacy.
Sources in the party say Trump already has given Essenberg some $50,000,
which is likely being used to fund Essenberg's long legal struggle to stay
in charge.
Essenberg employs the GOP legal ace Thomas Spargo, who is legendary in
Albany for thwarting democracy through clever use of New York's
complicated election laws.
Friday's tactic by Spargo to seek and get prior restraint against
political speech was seen as particularly outrageous by State Committee
members.
"I got a meeting notice from Essenberg.....I came here from
Watertown....waited for the meeting to start an hour late, then watched
Essenberg storm out in a huff after his legal henchman had abused the
courts and Constitution by convincing a judge
to take away our First Amendment rights," said Committeeman Jeffrey
Graham.
"Essenberg and Spargo are a blight on democracy, and have no business
being associated with any party, much less one called the 'Reform Party',
Graham added.
While the matter is expected to remain mired in the courts, Party Chairman
MacKay plans to waste no time getting organized.
"The upcoming Senate race and other races this year mean we have to
concentrate on building a party," MacKay said. |
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