PLEASANT VALLEY – The law firm that represents the Pleasant Valley Town Board, Wallace & Wallace, is being chastised by Councilwoman Mary Albrecht after the firm donated $1,000 to the Town of Pleasant Valley Republican Committee recently. Paul Ackerman is the Wallace and Wallace attorney who provides legal counsel to the town board.
Albrecht was elected to the town board as a Republican years ago but recently, the town GOP refused to support her candidacy. Albrecht, a registered Republican, is seeking reelection to the position on the Democratic line in November.
“I do not feel that it is right for our town attorney to be donating to one party in the town versus another when they have to represent the town as a whole,” Albrecht said. The councilwoman said she would consider proposing a local law to prevent donations like the one from the town attorney.
Ackerman told Mid-Hudson News that he did not make the donation. “I personally, choose not to donate money to any candidates for an office in a town that I represent although I don’t know of any prohibition against it.” When pressed about the specific donation, Ackerman deferred to law firm partner Craig Wallace. ” If you are speaking to donation from the firm where I am employed, I would direct you to Craig Wallace as I have no independent knowledge of donations and to whom they are or aren’t made”.
When reached, Wallace said “We have made contributions to the party as a whole. We never made any contribution to an individual candidate who serves the Town Board that we represent. How the party earmarks funds is up to that organization. It could have been given to a candidate involved in a county-wide race or a legislative race”.
