PLEASANT VALLEY – Town board members Frank Mazzella and John DelVecchio each filed complaints with the ethics board against each other claiming ethical violations. The board ruled on August 26 that no additional actions will be taken regarding the dueling complaints.
Mazzella, a Democrat, and Republican DelVecchio are both vying to become the next town supervisor.
Mazzella had filed an ethics complaint alleging that DelVecchio leaked confidential information from an executive session to a member of the public. The ethics board dismissed the complaint claiming that it was third-party information that Mazzella did not have direct knowledge of.
DelVecchio then filed an ethics board complaint alleging that Mazzella had told the press, namely Mid Hudson News, about the pending complaints against DelVecchio, in violation of the town’s ethics policy.
The ethics board’s decision noted that a hearing that would require testimony from the Mid Hudson News reporter would not be useful. The decision says in part “It (the ethics board) determined it would be unlikely that the hearings would disclose the identity of who leaked confidential information to the press. Therefore, based upon these facts, the board hereby dismisses the complaint.”
The decision chastised both complainants for the filing of the complaints against each other. “What is clear from the recent complaints is that they were filed to score political points in the public arena and not out of concern for the Town. This board will not be used to advance political agendas but will function impartially and above the political fray.”
