Congressional circus is coming to Glens Falls

Queensbury Ethics Board will hear complaint against councilman McNulty

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Dan Stec has no idea what he has gotten himself into running for Congress.

The upcoming campaign is not going to be about immigration, inflation or even how much he supports Trump, it's going to be about putting on a show and congressional candidate Anthony Constantino knows how to do that.

The Albany-area businessman got national attention last fall by putting up a giant, 100-foot-wide lighted "Vote for Trump" sign atop a building in downtown Amsterdam.

Even before Stec could muster an announcement to run for Elise Stefanik's seat, Constantino had thrown his hat into the ring, but now that Stec is in the game I don't think it will be long before Constantino gives him a nickname.

That's how closely I expect Constantino will follow the Trump playbook as showman, rather than statesman.

After Stec's announcement, Constantino told an Albany television station that Stec did not have the "intellect" or "brain power" for the job. Of course, Stec does have a chemical engineering degree, served eight years in the Navy in its nuclear power program and has 25 years of political experience while Constantino runs a successful online sticker business that employs 1,000 people.

Constantino is taking his show to the next level by bringing the circus - not the Ringling Bros. variety - to Glens Falls on Feb. 7 by sponsoring a "Cage Wars" event at Cool Insuring Arena that will have free admission.

"Cage Wars" is an amateur mixed marshall arts competition that mixes boxing and martial arts in a caged enclosure. It has been a popular draw at the Rivers Casino in Schenectady for the past eight years, but was not asked back recently.

Constantino says it is political.

In a press release in December dripping with Trump playbook examples, Constantino is quoted as saying "A little bird told me" - it reminded me of Trump's "people are saying" when he talks about things with no factual basis. Constantino goes on to claim in the press release that "a Democrat politician illegally pressured Rivers Casino to give Cage Wars the boot to hurt me."

Rivers Casino told The Gazette in Schenectady, “It was solely a business decision as Rivers Casino continuously evolves our event lineup to provide new and exciting opportunities for our guests and the community,” which made it look like what Constantino was saying might be true.

The Cage Wars event in Glens Falls will feature 10 "amateur" MMA fights and appearances by political operative Roger Stone and former fighter Jorge Masvidal.

You may remember Stone was convicted of lying to Congress about Russia's tampering with the 2016 election, but days before Stone was to report to prison, Trump commuted the 40-month prison sentence.

I had to look up Masvidal, who had a long career in mixed marshall arts profession.

The press release for the event is long on political rhetoric and claims that Democrats are abusing power in Albany - an Albany politician abusing power? I'm shocked! (sarcasm intended) - and also includes a quote from Cage Wars CEO Tim Rankins, claiming "I never expected to be targeted simply because I accepted a sponsorship from a Trump supporter."

This is the world Stec will inhabit in the coming months where the lines are continually blurred between politics and entertainment. I would not be surprised if Stec is portrayed as part of a "deep state" in Albany.

Trump's rallies are often lauded for their entertainment value and it appears Constantino is hoping for the same reaction by combining angry political rhetoric with angry contestants pounding on each other.

The political portion of the vent kicks off at 6 p.m. followed by the fighting.

Since Stefanik announced she would accept an appointment as U.N. ambassador, so many readers have expressed their happiness that Elise Stefanik is moving on to greener pastures so the 21st Congressional District might have a representative more attentive to their needs.

After seeing what the future might look like, we might eventually consider Stefanik's 10-year tenure as the good old days.

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Ethics update

Just before Thanksgiving this year, I addressed the Town Board in Queensbury and expressed my objection to a Town Board member, Tim McNulty, serving as the chairman of the Warren County Republican Party while also holding elected office.

I said it was a conflict of interest and cited the town's ethics policy that every member of the town should avoid even the "appearance" of a conflict. I pointed out that McNulty had power over the other Republican members of the board when it came to them voting and that was not right.

Seven years ago, Republican Tony Metivier was not endorsed by Republicans because the county chairman did not like one of his votes.

That should never be allowed to happen again.

The night I spoke no one on the Town Board responded. Even Metivier.

I waited a week and did not hear anything further, so I filed an ethics complaint in late November with the Queensbury Ethics Board.

In a letter dated Dec. 19, the ethics board said it was reviewing my complaint. "We are reviewing it and will be informing Mr. McNulty of the same. We will contact you with more information after we receive his response."

It was signed by Kurt Koskinen, chairman, Paul Abess, Eva Ricardo, Patsy Murray and Lisa Woititz.

The letter said that McNulty would be notified by certified mail of the complaint and offered the opportunity to appear before the Ethics Board or submit a written response to the board. McNulty may also request that the person making the request be required to appear before the Ethics Board at the same time and if the person making the complaint does not show up, the complaint may be dismissed.

The letter also said that all proceedings of the Ethics Board would be closed to the public (during executive session).

I would be happy to appear before the board and I hope that it makes its process as transparent as possible.

No board member should have political power over other board members. That is not right.

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End of era

The Associated Press is allowing the entire state of Vermont to become a news desert.

Granted, there is not a lot of critical news coming out of this corner of New England, but it is still a state and part of our region.

The end of an era occurred this week when long time Vermont Associated Press reporter, Lisa Rathkie, announced she was taking voluntary early retirement effective Jan. 3, but told VTDigger she is not retiring for good and referred further questions to an AP spokesperson.

AP said last month it was offering buyouts to some employees but others might be laid off with a goal of reducing the staff by 8 percent. Considering the AP? has some 10,000 employees, a loss of 800 jobs.

It is another blow to democracy and local news communities.

The Associated Press is currently advertising for a video journalist job in Vermont as part of a one-year commitment.

Twenty-five years ago, The Associated Press had as many as nine reporters and two photographers in its AP bureau in Vermont. It now has none.

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Ken Tingley spent more than four decades working in small community newspapers in upstate New York. Since retirement in 2020 he has written three books and is currently adapting his second book "The Last American Newspaper" into a play. He currently lives in Queensbury, N.Y.