I have tried to hold my tongue for a while concerning some of columnist Dee Richard’s biased and influenced comments, but one column — “John Haggerty makes promise for a Round 2 in court, published Nov. 3 — is just a bit too ridiculous to ignore. Maybe it is time she stuck to party updates and human interest stories.
In the column, she seems to imply that all the publicity involving John Haggerty’s theft of cash from the Bloomberg administration has been carefully orchestrated by the Queen Republican Party. Maybe she can cite some inside information as to the influence the Queens GOP has on the Daily News, New York Times, etc.
Also, Phil Ragusa and his heinous bunch must have also contacted the New York court system and made sure it scheduled the trial and verdict to fall just in time with the momentous Queens GOP fight that has rocked the world.
Secondly, her comment about “guilt by association” is equally laughable. Yes, Bart Haggerty is associated with his brother, especially in the fact that his house was purchased with money supplied by John. I would never imply that Bart’s brother would ever think to tell him how he may have gotten the money. That would be a conversation that brothers could never have.
The big question that real Queens GOP members should be asking is whether it is a good idea to even have someone associated with the scandal and corruption brought up in this trial to be representing their party. Ask yourself whether any support of this “leadership” is anything but a personal vendetta against Ragusa and the valid elected leadership of the Queens GOP.
As the judge rightly ruled, Ragusa is the duly elected chairman of the Queens GOP. Thankfully, Ragusa has not had to spend his time answering criminal complaints and cooperating with investigations. He has been trying to get Republicans elected. Maybe a fact that his opponents should actually research is how many Republican candidates have run for office under Ragusa compared to past leadership.
How many congressmen have been elected compared to past leadership? I do know one thing that Bart Haggerty and his leadership have done well: They are experts at sending subpoenas to acting Republican leadership over the years.
I, as a sitting executive board member of the Queens GOP, received no less than six copies of my subpoena through various couriers and mail services, including FedEx. I wonder who paid for this nonsense that they have already tried and failed at year after year. I wonder if they will ever stop acting in their own best interests and do something for the local party.
As Judge Flug stated in her verdict, the meetings by Haggerty and his crew were “designed to create confusion and disrupt the internal affairs of the Queens County Republican Party.” It is not the first time, and regrettably it is probably not the last.
Peter Sutich
Assistant Treasurer
Queen Republican Party Executive Committee
Whitestone
