A subcommittee made up of three senior-level Independence Party members will be looking into the allegations that Colonie Independence Party Chairman Ken Champagne offered his party’s support in exchange for a town position.
The Independence Party has formed a review committee to investigate the serious allegations that were first reported by The Spotlight, said Paul Caputo, Albany County Independence Party chairman and vice chairman of the state Independence Party, on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
In an article first published on Friday, Sept. 11, on www.spotlightnews.com, Champagne was quoted as saying, `What I told [Mike] Hoblock was that I may be getting considered for a position with the town, and if that happens, of course it may affect my decision,` and `If I was given a job before the endorsement came out, I don’t think anyone would believe me if I said I wasn’t influenced by that.`
While Caputo did not have a definite timeline of when the review committee would begin and end their investigation, he said it would most likely begin shortly.
Caputo said that at this time, the party will not be calling for the removal of Champagne from his position unless the committee recommends it.
`We believe Mr. Champagne deserves his right of due process. Any removal from the committee and town chairmanship at this time may taint the findings of this committee,` Caputo said.
In addition to the committee’s investigation, Hoblock called on District Attorney David Soares to investigate the allegations during a press conference he held at Colonie Republican headquarters on Wolf Road on Sunday, Sept. 13. On Wednesday, Hoblock said he sent a letter to Soares to follow up on his request on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
`We’re calling for an investigation because there may have been a criminal offense. That’s not for me to decide, obviously, that’s up to a grand jury to decide,` Hoblock said.
During the press conference, Hoblock called on Colonie Town Supervisor Paula Mahan to rescind any and all employment applications Champagne has with the town, as well as to remove herself from the Independence Party endorsement. Caputo said he was unsure whether removing the endorsement would be possible.
`I don’t think that’s possible at this time; she is our candidate,` Caputo said.
When asked whether he would pursue Mahan’s withdrawal from the endorsement, Hoblock said, `No, I think that’s for Mrs. Mahan and Paul Caputo to decide.`
Caputo said the committee would most likely be considering the allegations presented in Sept. 11 online Spotlight article (`Colonie Indy chair waffles on endorsement, denies brokering for town job`), as well as an e-mail that was sent to several Independence Party committee members and Colonie Republican committee members, calling on the Independence Party to re-consider allowing a primary for the supervisor race and issuing Hoblock a Wilson Pakula, allowing the party to endorse a candidate outside its membership.
The e-mail, dated Friday, July 17, and written by Champagne, reads, `I ask that you should consider what I have said and respond to me by Sunday noon time if you would be in support of holding an Emergency Executive Committee Meeting for the purpose of reconsidering whether or not to allow a primary for the Supervisor of Colonie position and issue a Pakula to Mike Hoblock.`
Champagne later said that the reason he wrote this e-mail was because he felt threatened by Hoblock, whom he called `a powerful man.`
Hoblock said, `I don’t know where Ken got that story,` in regard to Champagne’s claim that he felt threatened by him.
On Wednesday, Champagne said, at this point, he is not planning on removing himself from his chairmanship.
`I am just sitting back and waiting for the subcommittee,` he said. `The facts are out there. There was no wrongdoing.“