That kind of fraud has been a particular problem during the pandemic, when jobless claims spiraled and benefits were augmented by the federal government. Remember the genius who filed an unemployment claim using Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn’s name last year? It happens.
Speaking of which, there was also the recent case involving Casey and possible campaign violations. Â
Laborers in the Town of Hamburg Highway Department made more than 900 telephone calls to registered voters over a six-week period this spring. Casey insists that the task concerned constituent services. Supervisor James Shaw, himself an elder statesman and Democrat who is not seeking re-election, disagrees.
Casey has managed to anger the unions. He has also managed to raise serious questions over the use of his town-issued vehicle, his cavalier approach to conflicts of interest and the hiring of his son who, by the way, was one of the people making phone calls.
Much of the dustup is Hamburg politics as usual, but the sniping that is characterizing Tuesday’s primary election counts as a depressing example of petty politics at work on matters that don’t matter. And some that do.
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