Sussman with Newburgh City Councilwoman Hillary Rayford at Thursday
night’s meet and greet
NEWBURGH – Attorney Michael Sussman, running on the Green Party
line for state attorney general in November, is looking to use his national
public law experience to sway voters in this upcoming election.
Sussman, a long-time Hudson Valley civil rights lawyer, said Thursday
night he believes the state needs an independent attorney general, one
that can defend infringements against citizen rights violated by state
agencies, defend the state’s sovereignty from letting corruption
matters be handled by Washington and environmental degradation he feels
has been perpetuated by the Cuomo administration.
In fact, Sussman said that he would directly target the Cuomo administration,
if elected.
“I think frankly he is target number one and I am going to make
him a target. I don’t care if he is re-elected. If he is re-elected,
he is going to be, for me, a major target and he is not going to have
control over me,” Sussman said.
The Goshen attorney said Cuomo “has to be investigated from top
to bottom.” Sussman said whether it is Crystal Run Healthcare, Kiryas
Joel, the CPV power plant or the casinos, “I believe when the Mollen
Commission ,” said Sussman. “I think, whether it’s Crystal
Run, whether it’s Kiryas Joel, whether it’s CPV, whether it’s
what happened with the casinos: I believe that when the Mollen Commission
was getting close to Cuomo, Andrew Cuomo disbanded the commission.”
Sussman said that is why he didn’t run for Orange County executive
in 2017 as a Democrat, “though I had the nomination. I did not want
to be associated with his party because I believe he is fundamentally
corrupt.”
Aside from his beliefs about the current governor, Sussman said he also
wants to maintain transparency in his campaign.
According to Sussman, he will not be taking campaign donations in excess
of $180 from any individual and will abstain from corporate campaign backing.
Sussman will be in Delhi, Yonkers, his old stomping grounds and Newburgh
this weekend. He said he will begin touring across the state for his campaign
each weekend, beginning in September before primaries.
A handful of Democrats will face a primary election next month before
running against the one Republican and Sussman.
