Astorino Takes the Ice Bucket Challenge

County Executive Rob Astorino has jumped into cold water, taking the ice bucket challenge to raise money for ALS. The stunt involves dumping a bucket of ice on your head while naming others to do the same and recording it on Facebook. Anyone who fails to take the challenge within 24 hours is expected to donate $100 to the ALS Assocation. Astorino challenged Governor Andrew Cuomo, Republican State Senate co-leader Dean Skelos, Democratic State Senate co-leader Jeffrey Klein and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to take the challenge or ante up. Watch him get doused in ice water here: 

There's no telling if this will distract voters from other recent news about Astorino who will be deposed for up to seven hours about the Fair and Affordable Housing Settlement in Westchester County. Federal Monitor James Johnson requested the depositions saying that the County Executive and his team "have made statements that have confused the public, misstated the terms of the Settlement and signaled ongoing defiance of its terms." Astornio has repeatedly suggested that HUD would mandate Westchester to build 10,000 units of affordable housing rather than the 750 required in the settlement.

Johnson called for the depositions in his second biennial assessment of the County's compliance on June 26, 2014 and Judge Denise cote ruled in the monitor's favor on July 28th. Other members of Astorino's team will also be deposed; Deputy Commissioner of Planning Norma Drummond, Commissioner of Planning Edward Buroughs and Communications Director Ned McCormack. The lawsuit has already caused Westchester County to lose $12 million in funds that were earmarked for the County by HUD and another $5.2 million could be re-appropriated if the dispute continues.

Astorino is running an active campaign for Governor of NYS, hoping to unseat Andrew Cuomo who is also being investigated by Federal prosecutors for meddling with the Moreland Commission which he set up to investigate public corruption.

To what extent will the investigations chill the candidates' campaigns? It's looking icy for both.