Amedore calls statement ‘bogus’
Rotterdam GOP members say Assemblyman George Amedore did not support the Rotterdam Republican ticket in 2009 because the town denied a zoning change he had applied for. Amedore, who is awaiting the Schenectady County endorsement for his second Assembly run, denies the allegation.
According to minutes from a Jan. 27 meeting of the Rotterdam Republican Party, Amedore, R,C-Rotterdam, said the reason that he did not support the 2009 Republican ticket was because of a zoning change he was not granted by former Town Supervisor Steve Tommasone. I didn’t support the republican ticket because Steve Tommasone didn’t give me my zone change in Rotterdam and it cost my family a lot of money! the minutes of the meeting show Amedore saying.
Amedore, in a Wednesday, May 19 interview, said that the minutes were `bogus` and were amended to reflect what some members wanted them to say.
`Those are not my words- those minutes were amended,` said Amedore. `Those are bogus meeting minutes, they are manipulating them to what they want to say. I am in a public office to serve the people and will not support any politician or political campaign that are nasty and goes against peoples character.`
Town board member and New York State Assembly candidate Gerard Parisi said he was in the room when Amedore made the statement ` something he says the committee considered when endorsing him as their pick for the 105th Assembly seat.
`I think its something the committee looked at when they were looking at their candidate,` said Parisi. `Its not exactly easy in party politics to go against the incumbentI don’t think they want to endorse any candidate that does not reflect the ideals of the committee.`
Rotterdam Republican committeewoman Tracy Donovan also said that Amedore did not support the 2009 Republican ticket, did nothing to stop the No New Tax Party and never reached out to the community during the campaign. According to the minutes, Donovan asks him why he was not around during the whole campaign until the night of the vote. Donovan then states that he `stood alone in the corner with a big smile on his face.`
It is at this point in the minutes that Amedore responds about the zoning change and former town supervisor Tommasone. Amedore on Wednesday said the zone change had no real bearing on the campaign of 2009 and believes the question and answer were taken out of context. Amedore says he was not asked to take part in the Rotterdam campaigns until the night before the election.
`It’s the same old sick tactics that people are sick and tired of,` said Amedore on Wednesday, May 19. `I will not support any type of people that want to use those types of tactics.`
Amedore was endorsed by the Montgomery County Republican Committee at their annual spring meeting in Florida on Tuesday, May 18. The Schenectady Republican Committee will meet in the coming weeks to pick their endorsement.
“