Editor, The Spotlight:
I am disheartened to read a recent spate of letters submitted by accomplices of Jared King, which seek to slander and defame a group of volunteers, who have been working diligently to rebuild the Republican Party.
Eight months ago, I was appointed by the county GOP to serve as its new chair. I am proud to have made history as the youngest and first female in this county elected for the position. Since then, I have been voluntarily working to help reenergize and reorganize the party, which by all accounts is no easy task. Nonetheless, having volunteered for the Republican Party for 20 years, I saw it as a welcomed opportunity.
I have received a tremendous outpouring of support on the many issues the local party has been advocating for including, the downsizing of the county legislature, building grassroots support against the SAFE ACT, increased economic development and seeking ways to lower taxes through privatization, greater efficiencies in government and rooting out corruption and fraud.
Most recently, in Bethlehem, our efforts played a pivotal role in defeating the misguided referendum that sought to disenfranchise voters by taking away their right to elect their superintendent of highways. Our volunteers went door to door, built grassroots support against the measure, ultimately helping protect voters’ rights.
Notably absent from that effort were the same individuals who seek to malign members of my committee for their own self-serving needs. Their bizarre attacks are being orchestrated by Jared King, a man who has defrauded Bethlehem residents on many levels.
Perhaps he is seeking to avenge his loss to me when I overwhelmingly defeated him for the positions of county chair and commissioner of the Board of Elections. However, I suspect that Jared King’s most recent attacks are motivated by his efforts to deflect from his own record in his bid to become Bethlehem’s next supervisor.
Jared King is a convicted felon who was charged with third degree larceny and second degree forgery, stemming from a check forgery scandal. He was also sued for failing to pay credit card bills and is currently driving on a suspended license. Moreover, despite being a permanent resident of Coxsackie, Greene County, he used an address in Delmar to register to vote. Simply stated, Jared King is not being forthcoming with the public about his record or his past.
While I would have preferred to write about more meaningful matters, Jared’s antics have made it necessary to respond. Besides, Bethlehem residents have a right to know they cannot entrust its town finances and policies in the hands of an individual who believes he is above the law.
The Albany County GOP stands for the elimination of corruption in government and working toward the greater good. Given Jared King’s criminal history, along with his continued efforts to discredit volunteers, demonstrates that he is ill-suited, ill-tempered and unfit to represent Bethlehem residents. It is for that reason the local Republican Party is not supporting Jared King for public office.
Rachel Bledi
Chairwoman, Albany County Republican Party
