Newell Campaign Clarifies Role in Crothers Mailing and Calls for Silver to Repudiate "Gutter Politics" Slur

For Immediate Release - September 2, 2008 - 

Newell Campaign Clarifies Role in Crothers Mailing and Calls for Silver to Repudiate "Gutter Politics" Slur

NEW YORK, NY - The Newell for Assembly campaign denies any involvement with Ms. Crothers' mailing whatsoever. It is an independent expenditure paid for by a group with which the Newell campaign has had no contact. 

Paul Newell's campaign expressed dismay at the Sheldon Silver campaign's description of the testimony of a rape survivor as "gutter politics" and "desperate."

"The Newell campaign had no hand in this mailing," clarified Evan Hutchison, Newell's campaign manager. "But, that said--that Silver would allow his spokesperson to slur Elizabeth Crothers when she is simply repeating well-established facts is disrespectful of Crothers and demeaning to women in general. A simple retelling of the story and reprinting of reputable news sources is neither 'desperate' nor 'gutter politics.'"

Referring to Silver's admission to The New York Times that he "was wrong about Michael Boxley," and felt "tremendous anguish about what Elizabeth Crothers went through," Paul Newell said, "I read how deeply Speaker Silver regrets his support of Michael Boxley. That's why I can't imagine why he would describe Ms. Crothers' letter as 'gutter politics.'"  Newell continued, "I call on Sheldon Silver to renounce his spokesperson Jonathan Rosen's callous comments about a rape survivor."

Paul Newell added that he respects and admires Ms. Crothers. "She is a strong woman who has very publicly rehashed one of the most painful and personal experiences in her life with the aim of ending the culture of secrecy and power in Albany. That culture leads to Michael Boxley's violence and Silver's defense thereof just as surely as it leads to a housing policy for downtowners."

"Maybe Mr. Silver should have voiced this complaint to the editors of the New York Times, The Daily News and The New York Post who covered this story rather than save his insults for a rape survivor forwarding undisputed news reports," Hutchison added.

Noting that the court in the Boxley case described Mr. Silver's role as "outrageous and disgraceful," Hutchison suggested that Mr. Silver and Mr. Rosen should reassess what gutter politics is. "Perhaps the gutter politics isn't the mailing, but in fact is the Speaker's long-standing disregard for the residents he represents," Hutchison said. "Maybe the gutter politics is decades of the Speaker listening only to those who serve his power, whether they be luxury condo developers, the automobile industry or--in one particular case--a member of his inner circle implicated in a rape."

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