Free Republic

Three (Republican) county officials were accused of conspiring to file dozens of fraudulent ballots during the 2021 electionsALBANY — Three Rensselaer County officials accused of conspiring to commit ballot fraud were found not guilty on all counts by a federal jury on Wednesday following a two-week trial that delved into the inner workings of the county’s political machinations. The jury delivered its verdict after less than two days of deliberations in a case that federal prosecutors and the FBI had taken more than a year to build. That investigation included interviews with dozens of county employees, information gleaned from...

With Eldridge bowing out, Democrats have some options among local officials, including Ulster County Executive Mike Hein. Former state Sen. Terry Gipson has also been mentioned as a potential candidate. On the Republican side, Gibson is expected to retire at the end of his current term as he considers a run for statewide office in 2018, most likely for governor. Republicans mentioned to replace Gibson in Congress include Assemblyman Peter Lopez, Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin and Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro.

Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin has finally found something he loves about the SAFE Act. “The only upside,” McLaughlin, a two-term Rensselaer County Republican, said from atop a homemade stage at the University at Albany Tuesday, is “that Andrew Cuomo will never, ever be president of the United States.” McLaughlin, who for 10 months has railed against Cuomo’s divisive new gun control law, assured the sparse but appreciative crowd that rushing the law through the Legislature on its first day in session last year torpedoed any White House aspirations harbored by the Democratic governor. “This was an arbitrary bill that just attacked...

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