Fair Campaign Practice Committee Finds TV Spots Misleading and Inaccurate

On October 14, The Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee, chaired by Evelyn Stock of Scarsdale heard a complaint from NYS Senate Candidate Robert Cohen against Suzi Oppenheimer who is running against him for the seat in the 37th District. Cohen complained that a television commercial for Ms. Oppenheimer portrayed him (Cohen) as a slumlord in New York City and was “intentionally misleading and factually inaccurate.” The commercial charged that he violated safety regulations and left children sick with lead poisoning.

The Committee agreed with Cohen, ruling that “scenes and events were fabricated, and it dismissed the Oppenheimer side’s contention that it was fair political discourse. A mother and child who appear in the commercial with facial expressions to convey a negative message about Mr. Cohen’s building were not his tenants and a sign was altered to imply that one of his buildings was condemned or closed for safety reasons by a “Department of Health and Safety” when no such agency existed. Also, as a picture is shown of a boy standing in front of an unfinished wall, a voice states: “… and left children sick with lead poisoning.” The wall is not on Mr. Cohen’s property and the boy is not one of his residents.

Cohen also complained that Ms. Oppenheimer made a “hypothetical and fictional” statement, saying, “If these buildings could talk…would tell of broken promises.”

The committee said they did not have enough information to make a ruling on the second charge.

The purpose of the Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee is to promote a climate in which candidates conduct honest and fair campaigns. The Committee encourages candidates to conduct campaigns openly and fairly, to discuss issues, to refrain from dishonest and defamatory attacks, and not to use campaign materials that distort the facts. Visit their website to learn more.

Oppenheimer who has held the seat for 26 years chairs the NYS Senate Education Committee has also sent out some mailers with a positive tone that tout her many accomplishments on behalf of New York Schools. She sponsored the 2010 Education Reform Law that helped to pave the way for New York to win $700 million in federal Race to the Top funds.

The candidates will meet at the Scarsdale Public Library at the League of Women Candidates Forum on Tuesday night October 19th at 7:30 pm.