The indictment and resignation of John Venditto as Oyster Bay Town Supervisor is another blow to public trust in government.”
- Nassau County Comptroller, George Maragos
Lucas,
Everyone knows government should be open and honest. Yet political corruption is all too common, whether at the national level, state level, or right here in towns across New York and Pennsylvania.
Last October, the Town Supervisor of Oyster Bay, John Venditto, was indicted on up to 13 counts including bribery and fraud. Now, Mr. Venditto has resigned his position.
Local officials often are elected by only a tiny fraction of the electorate, yet their actions affect us daily. They set property taxes, decide school funding, and pave our roads. They often are on a path to higher office, with the power to redistrict.
Mr. Venditto started out as a Town Councilman. He didn’t receive many campaign donations, but those few gave relatively large contributions. He was elected Supervisor by only 99 votes. For months, the citizens of Oyster Bay had to make do with a Supervisor distracted by his own indictment.
None of this is what we want from government. We want elected officials who are accountable to voters, not a few donors. We want many more people participating in elections. And we want leaders who stand for honest government.
Stories like Mr. Venditto’s happen when things domino out of voters’ control. At Trailblazers PAC, we support candidates who are accountable to their voters. Please donate today to join us.
Our innovative matching program funds candidates who do the hard work of raising small-dollar contributions to support their message of openness in government. We educate candidates in establishing an effective grassroots campaign that builds on local participation. We only endorse candidates who stand for honest government, and who demonstrate that they are already walking the talk.
Help us build for our communities’ future. Join us today to invest in candidates who stand up for voters. Together, we can make a difference for our future.
- Joseph Messmer
Executive Director, Trailblazers PAC