Dutchess lawmaker apologizes for social media comments

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TOWN OF POUGHKEEPSIE – A Democratic Dutchess County legislator is being asked to apologize for comments he made on social media several years ago.  Legislator Giancarlo Llaverias, who represents the Town of Poughkeepsie, is being criticized by his opponent along with the legislature’s Republican Assistant Majority Leader, Donna Bolner.

Republican Margaret Kakish is challenging Llaverias in hopes of returning to the seat she once held.

On Friday, Kakish pointed to Facebook posts dating back to 2011 in which Llaverias said “It’s not rape, it’s surprise sex.”

Kakish, who is a mother and grandmother,  said she was “absolutely sickened by these comments.”

Public debate had surfaced in 2016 when audio files were released with a young Donald Trump talking about “grabbing” women by their reproductive organs.  Many Trump supporters came to his defense saying that the recording was “something of the past and should not be considered when casting a vote during his successful presidential bid.”  When asked if she denounced President Trump at the time when, as candidate Trump, it was revealed that he had made comments, Kakish implied that she did not.  “At the time, I wasn’t a public figure but of course his comments bothered me and I was upset.”

Assistant Minority Leader Donna Bolner followed up with her own statement denouncing Llaverias and calling for Democratic leadership to force Llaverias to apologize and remove the social media posts created years ago.

“Why should he get a pass on this? Anyone who uses these types of disturbing and harmful comments should apologize. As we have entered Domestic Violence Awareness Month, it is reprehensible that we have a public official in Dutchess County who posts such derogatory and degrading types of comments on Facebook,” said Bolner.

She was also asked about the similarities between the Trump statement and those made by Llaverias, Bolner said that she did not know what his comments were.  “If it was news and it wasn’t on the Weather Channel, there’s a good chance that I didn’t see or hear it.”  Bolner is a school administrator and said, “Let this be an education for him,” referring to the posts made by Llaverias.

Llaverias (file): “… I have grown and matured …”

Less than 24 hours after Kakish and Bolner issued their statements, Llaverias did apologize.  In an excerpt from his public apology, Llaverias said, “I am a flawed person who made mistakes in his youth and for the statements made years ago I am sorry. In those six years, I have grown and matured into the community activist, minister, and elected official Dutchess County has grown to know. I am not here to make excuses for my past but to show how people can grow from their past and become better people. I have had great people to intervene in my life as a youth to help me grow and to give me a swift kick in the rear when necessary. As the father of a young daughter, I know the impact of my words. At every step in my tenure as Legislator, unlike my opponent, I have denounced all sexist rhetoric especially from President Trump when he said in 2005 to “grab them by the…”

Llaverias and Kakish will square off on November 5 for the legislative seat that encompasses a large portion of the Town of Poughkeepsie.




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