Kathy Konst has already been having problems in the past week… but it seems like she’s her own worst enemy…

State Senate candidate Kathy Konst on Friday missed her third deadline in a row for filing financial disclosure reports with the State Board of Elections, injecting another element of controversy into an increasingly troubled campaign.

Board records indicate Democrat Konst did not file the required report that lists contributions and expenditures, while Republican opponent Sen. Dale M. Volker of Lancaster and hundreds of others around the state submitted theirs on time as required by law.

Erie County Republican Chairman James P. Domagalski, who has been leading the charge against Konst over the past several days, called it a “flagrant violation” that makes it seem as if she is “above the law.”

“What’s she hiding? Why won’t she let the citizens and taxpayers know from where she’s getting her money and what she’s spending it on?” he said. “If she is unwilling to file, she really ought to step down from this campaign.”

Konst did not return a call seeking comment.

How long before the lefty blogs of WNY blame the ECGOP for Konst’s failure to file?

Read Full Post »

Yesterday, a judge ruled that Kathy Konst cannot run on a second, minor party line this November.

Kathy Konst’s minority party candidacy in her race against State Sen. Dale M. Volker was invalidated Tuesday by State Supreme Court Justice Timothy J. Drury, who upheld Volker’s challenge to Konst’s nominating petitions.

The judge found that Konst’s Integrity Party petitions had 2,838 valid signatures, short of the required 3,000.

This isn’t going to influence the race one way or another, but I think this proves that electoral fusion is largely a distraction to political races.

A more serious problem for Konst is the revelation of evidence that she voted in Florida and in New York back in 1998.

Kathy Konst, the Democratic county legislator from Lancaster challenging incumbent Republican Dale M. Volker for the State Senate, voted on Election Day in Florida and New York in 1998, according to documents obtained by the Republican Senate Campaign Committee.

Federal prosecutors confirm that falsely reporting the place and period of residence for voting in a federal election violates federal law and constitutes a felony. But they also say the statute of limitations for any offense committed in 1998 expired five years ago.

Konst, however, vehemently denies the charges. She said she did not live in Florida in 1998 and claims the documents are “doctored.”

“It’s absolutely impossible,” she said. “I moved from there in 1992. It’s absurd. I swear on a stack of Bibles.”

While Konst may not be prosecuted, the charge is likely to become a major issue in the hotly contested election.

Officials of the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office confirmed for The Buffalo News that Konst voted at the polls in the Nov. 3, 1998, general election at polling place 407 in West Palm Beach.

Erie County records, meanwhile, also show her voting at the polls on the same day in Lancaster.

This potentially could be a big problem for her, but then again, if Sam Hoyt can win a primary despite his exposed affairs with interns I doubt that Konst committing a felony will severely hurt her standing among Democrats in the general election.

Could Konst have been the victim of fraud? Perhaps… but depending on much this is pursued, it certainly makes me concerned about the integrity of voting down in Florida — a battleground state — when a Democrat who is no longer a resident somehow manages to cast a vote. If Konst did not vote herself in both Florida and New York, then the real issue is how was a vote cast for her, and what other non-resident Democrats have managed somehow to cast illegal votes in the Sunshine State.

I think a federal investigation is in order here. Konst may be innocent, but the Democratic Party in Florida may be guilty of massive voter fraud.

Read Full Post »

This is why I don’t like electoral fusion.

State Sen. Dale M. Volker, a Depew Republican, is suing Erie County Legislator Kathy Konst, a candidate in Tuesday’s primary for the Democratic nomination to oppose him, over the creation of a minor party designed to ensure Konst a place on the ballot in November’s general election.

Volker’s campaign is challenging the signatures on petitions of Konst’s Integrity Party, which was established specifically for the 59th State Senate District race. Craig Miller, spokesman for the senator’s campaign, said organizers believe that more than 2,000 of the 5,000 signatures gathered to create the minor party are invalid.

The signers, he noted, included “George W. Bush,” whose address was given as “White House.”

“They’re making a mockery of the election laws,” Miller said.

Konst, of Lancaster, needs 3,000 valid signatures for the party to be listed on the November ballot.

Read Full Post »

BUFFALO NEWS: Konst abandons House race to challenge Volker

Read Full Post »

This year the country certainly has seen firsthand how undemocratic the Democratic Party is. Superdelegates deciding the nomination… Half-votes for Florida and Michigan delegates…

And we’re seeing in the undemocratic nature of the Democratic Party in Western New York. The other day, Democrat party leaders endorsed Jon Powers candidacy for NY-26, and apparently decided to call on Powers’ competition to take the decision away from the voters and drop out.

Kathy Konst, who recently entered the fray, took issue with Powers and the party leaders for their undemocratic ways.

Kathy Konst, an Erie County legislator seeking the Democratic nomination for the 26th Congressional District, blasted opponent Jon Powers and party leaders for calling on competitors, including herself, to step aside.

“I am shocked and awed at Mr. Powers’ political tactics,” Konst said Wednesday in a statement criticizing Powers, an Iraq War veteran. I thought we were living in a democracy, where the people determine who the best candidate is, not political bosses. If we really want to pick the best candidate, let’s do it through public debate and elections.”

On Tuesday, the Democratic Party chairmen of Western New York’s seven counties unanimously endorsed Powers.

Read Full Post »

Kathy Konst officially entered the Democratic race for NY’s 26th Congressional District today…

Read Full Post »

Things continue to look good for Chris Lee to succeed Tom Reynolds as Republican David Ballavia, an Iraq war veteran, announced he would not challenge Chris Lee for the Republican nomination.

After more than a dozen Republicans expressed interest in succeeding Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds following his retirement announcement in March, Christopher J. Lee emerged as the last man standing Thursday when his sole remaining opponent said he would not run.

David Bellavia, who won the Silver Star in Iraq and wrote a book about his war experiences, told The Buffalo News he will not challenge Lee for the GOP nomination. He also ruled out talk of challenging Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, D-Fairport, for her seat in the adjacent 28th District, leaving the Republicans still without a candidate to challenge the veteran congresswoman.

“We had conversations about it, but the idea of running against her never came out of my mouth,” he said. “It was the thought of other people.”

But, on the Democrat side, a fourth has entered the race.

Bellavia’s withdrawal means the Republicans are unified behind Lee, while the Democratic field has grown to four contenders. Erie County Legislator Kathy Konst of Lancaster said this week she intends to run in the Democratic primary, which already includes Clarence businessman Jack Davis, Iraq War veteran and former substitute teacher Jon Powers, and Amherst attorney Alice J. Kryzan.

The National Journal’s Hotline blog recognizes the latest turn of events bodes well for GOP prospects for NY-26.

Four of NY’s six GOP seats could swing to Dems this fall. But one of those four, retiring Tom Reynolds’ (R) NY-26, looks less and less everyday like it belongs with those other three.

PoliticsNY.net even notes that favored Democrat chalenger Jon Powers “has no substantive support in the District” despite all the party endorsements he’s received.

The Hotline blog also reports that we may not have heard the last from Bellavia:

The party has also been working to clear the primary field of its only remaining candidate, and is trying to move Iraq vet David Bellavia (D) to the NY-28 race.

Read Full Post »