David Renzi, the Republican challenging Sen. Darrel Aubertine in the 48th Senate District, accured 300 hours of service credit and $26,539 in the state retirement system, according to the Watertown Daily Times:
The Brown, Dierdorf & Renzi partner was incorrectly designated as a town employee, which made him eligible for the state benefit. But Mr. Renzi, who is running for the 48th district state Senate seat against Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent, does not meet the state criteria for being an employee for several reasons, including that he does not submit time sheets to the town, work fixed hours there, have a permanent work space at the town or report to anyone at the town during each work day.
Through Pamelia, Mr. Renzi accrued 300 days of service credit and $26,539 in salary credit in the state retirement system. The attorney has received no benefits because he has not retired.
Pamelia Supervisor Lawrence C. Longway said Mr. Renzi asked to be enrolled in the state benefits system when he was hired.
"He lagged a little bit to be totally vested, so he wanted some New York state retirement time," the supervisor recalled. "Whatever benefits he wanted, whether it was New York state retirement or health insurance, we did him whatever he wanted. But he paid for it all."
In the article, the paper states that they received the information from the DSCC, which led to Renzi claiming that a "whisper campaign" was started by Aubertine's campaign.
"I have always held myself to highest ethical standards," said Mr. Renzi in the statement. "My opponent wants to avoid having to answer legitimate questions that have been raised about his own unethical and illegal behavior, and misuse of taxpayer money while in office, and so has raised these issues as part of his increasingly negative campaign."
First off, there is nothing ethical about dipping into the state retirement system when you aren't allowed to. This isn't the first time we have seen this and it won't be the last. Secondly, Renzi is doing what he accuses Aubertine of doing. The newspaper raises questions about his own conduct and Renzi turns it on Aubertine, which is the same thing he alleges Aubertine is doing in the quote above.
It is rather comical how desperate the Republicans are this cycle. They know that they will be the minority come January 1 and they aren't looking forward to it at all. |
