Chris Collins (the first congressional rep to endorse Trump) is in hot legal water and Republicans are scrambling to try to save his seat in congress after he announced he was not going to seek reelection.
To be clear, Collins’s situation should come as no surprise to the Republican party. Collins bragged publicly about making his friends money and reports are that others in congress have joked about him being the most likely to go to jail.
In other words, the GOP made their corrupt, despicable bed. They could have gotten rid of Collins long ago and they chose to stick with him despite the ethical lapses.
But now they want to bend the rules to get Collins off the ballot and let a new guy in (maybe this racist a-hole).
The problem is it is too late to take Collins off unless he dies, moves out of state, or is nominated for a different political office. Since the first two are not options, the Republicans are going for the third.
Enter the small town of Eden, NY. Two seats are open in Eden and the Republicans are pouncing to nominate Collins for one of them (even though he has never lived in or near Eden).
And although they already have a candidate for the town clerk, there are none for the co-assessor (because their co-assessor passed away this month). And the GOP vultures are swooping in for her seat so they can dump Collins and get another guy in the race for the House seat.
However the good people of Eden and Western New York are not just going to let this happen.
Local democrats are all over this:
"Eden is not a dumping ground for Republicans who are unfit to run for office and mired in scandal," Ed Krycia, the town Democratic chairman and a former Town Board member, said in a statement. "It’s the height of arrogance to assume that an entire town government is theirs to manipulate and control in this manner. The people of Eden deserve much, much better.”
Even local Republicans seem appalled:
Town Supervisor Melissa M. Hartman said she objects to Collins, a nonresident, taking a place on the ballot there.
Hartman, a Republican, said the idea is disrespectful to voters and to other office-seekers or officeholders.
"We value those positions and we value the residents who wish to run for them," Hartman said. "We have two candidates for town clerk who have started their campaigns and have financially made a commitment to them. For someone to just replace that without even consulting our town, especially the supervisor or a town board member, is very insulting."
This led to a protest last night
Republicans, Conservatives and Democrats protested in Eden Wednesday night against the possibility of Congressman Chris Collins serving as town clerk or assessor. Both positions recently became vacant and are not on the November ballot.
"Eden doesn't want to be a pawn in this game," said Edward Krycia, Jr, Eden Democratic Party Chairman. "Realistically I don't see Chris Collins moving to Eden or working at a job that pays about $15,000 a year. I'd be surprised. And I would put my faith in the town board that he would never be appointed here."
Can you imagine trying to fix your incompetent and unethical problems by saddling a small town with an assessor who has been indicted for money laundering and has zero interest in your town?
The GOP can.
Luckily the people of Eden and of Western New York are fighting back and bringing attention to the issue with protests. The GOP will no longer be able to sneak this in through the back door.
The protests made all the local news outlets and brought this awful plan into the light of day.
The days of good people being quiet are long over.
This story isn’t over yet, but it isn’t going to end without local Democrats fighting back.
Democrat Nate McMurray is taking on the GOP machine and running for Collins’s seat. Want to help Western NY take Collins’s seat and Democrats take back the House? Donate to Nate McMurray!