7th S.D.: Martins: Campaign HQ is all above board

Mineola Mayor Jack Martins, the GOP candidate against state Sen. Craig Johnson (D-Port Washington), just responded to our item yesterday about his campaign not paying rent on his Mineola campaign headquarters. Martins's statement declares that the tax cert refund that he, as mayor, voted to give to campaign supporters -- and campaign headquarters landlords -- Avelino and Maria DeSousa was completely above-board.

Martins points out that Mineola's village tax cert refund process is handled by outside counsel and the vote to approve the DeSousas' $8,500 refund was unanimous. Presumably the same rationale applies to Robert Rosenthal, a 2008 Martins-for-Congress donor who received a $26,000 tax cert refund at the same 2009 village board meeting the DeSousas received theirs. Rosenthal also is a donor to Martins for Senate, state records show.

About his failure to report rent on campaign finance reports, Martins says: "To imply that a common clerical error by a volunteer that is easily amended might be anything other is simply false. In that light, I won't be penalized for being recognized as an outstanding public servant who has earned the goodwill of my constituents."

And Martins, who earlier today lost his place on the Tax Revolt party line, takes a shot at Johnson spokesman Rich Azzopardi, who so riled up Martins spokesman Umberto Mignardi. "Readers know the truth: that Craig Johnson’s spin doctors would like to distract voters from his abysmal voting record."

We're still waiting for a promised phone call from Martins himself.

 

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