GOSHEN – Orange County Legislator Michael Anagnostakis’ diatribe against the county Republican Party on Wednesday, when he accused leadership with handpicking Thomas Basile to run for the State Senate seat in the 39th District, was countered on Thursday by GOP Chairwoman Courtney Greene.
Anagnostakis said Basile was selected without any screening of all candidates, but Greene said Anagnostakis, as a member of the committee, has been invited to all events and meetings of the party. “He is conveniently ignorant and dismissive of a process he claims to care about,” Greene said.
She said she “resents” Anagnostakis’ comments about the hardworking members and elected officials; “they deserve his respect – not being dragged through the mud by his personal agenda.”
Greene said there has been no “Boss Tweed” appointment as Anagnostakis claimed. It has just been “simply traditional day-in day-out hard work by Tom Basile, with tremendous deference to our great Senator Bill Larkin.” She said.
Larkin has endorsed Basile along with several other elected officials as well as state GOP and Conservative leaders.
Anagnostakis will not attend next week’s GOP convention but will challenge Basile in the primary.
