Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne's campaign says it has prevailed in a lawsuit against the Putnam County Conservative Committee over campaign mailings attacking Byrne that his campaign described as intentionally deceptive and in violation of state election law.
In a press release, Byrne's campaign said Conservative Committee Chairman William Spain acknowledged violations of New York State Election Law during court proceedings involving the mailings.
The mailings in question depict Byrne with Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and accusing him of bring a RINO (Republican In Name Only) who voted for "radical left-wing legislation" while serving in the New York Assembly.
Earlier this year, the Conservative Committee nominated Tatiana Brahimi to run against Byrne and Democrat Brett Yarris in the general election.
Judge Gina Capone presided over the settlement, the release said.
According to the release, Spain, representing the Putnam County Conservative Committee in court, acknowledged on the record that the committee “created materially deceptive media in violation of Election Law § 14-106(5)(a)(i)” and that “the challenged images…depict a scenario that did not occur or was significantly altered.”
Under the settlement, the Conservative Committee will be required to pay Byrne's legal fees once those fees are determined by the court, according to his campaign.
“These were intentionally deceptive political mailings designed to mislead Putnam County voters, and now the people responsible have been forced to answer for their actions in court,” Byrne said. “This wasn't an innocent mistake or a misunderstanding of the law, and they have admitted that. Do not trust anything that comes from the Putnam County Conservative Party.
“The locally compromised leadership of the Conservative Party has repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to disregard the rules, deceive the public, and undermine the integrity of our elections. Today, the court held them accountable.”
Halston Media has reached out to the Putnam County Conservative Committee for comment.
According to the Byrne campaign release, the state Conservative Party rebuked the Putnam committee for its actions.
“The Conservative Party has always stood for the rule of law, honest elections, and accountability in government. Those principles must apply equally to everyone, including our own party leadership,” said New York State Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar. “The conduct described in these court proceedings is deeply troubling and should concern every Conservative voter. Political disagreements are one thing, but misleading voters and violating election law are entirely another. The people of Putnam County deserve transparency, integrity, and confidence in the electoral process.”
Beyond the mailings themselves, Byrne's campaign raised questions about what it described as the Putnam County Conservative Committee's failure to file campaign finance disclosures since August.
New York's campaign finance disclosure requirements are intended to ensure voters can identify who is funding political activities and hold those responsible accountable. Byrne's campaign said the absence of corresponding disclosures raises questions about who paid for the mailings, how much was spent and whether other election law requirements were violated.
Byrne, who is running for a second term as county executive, has accused Conservatives and Democrats of colluding in an effort to unseat him—something both parties have denied.
“Who paid for these mailings? How much money was spent? And why hasn't the Conservative Party disclosed that information? Is it because they are being financed by Brett Yarris and his big government socialist allies?” Byrne said in the release. “Yarris knows the only way for socialists to take over Putnam is for him to split the center-right vote.”
Byrne's campaign also questioned Spain's role in the controversy, noting that he is simultaneously seeking election to a judicial office in Brooklyn.
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