John Haggerty Arguing Cases At Board of Elections

Written by Chris Bragg on . Posted in Blog.




As a convicted felon, John Haggerty cannot vote, but he still can try to get people thrown off the ballot.

Haggerty’s well-publicized legal troubles aren’t preventing him from arguing cases today at the New York City Board of Elections.  Here’s Haggerty a few minutes ago before the 10-member board arguing with Vincent Tabone, the executive vice-chairman of the Queens Republican Party. Haggerty has long sought to overthrow the leadership of the party, which is run by Tabone and Queens GOP chairman Phil Ragusa.

According to Tabone, Haggerty, renowned for his prowess at ballot challenges, filed a slew against the Queens GOP’s candidates – even those that are running unopposed. The challenges were largely not successful, and ballot challenges for Queens races are now finished.

Haggerty made news recently when he showed up at the Board of Elections on behalf of Councilman Eric Ulrich’s campaign for Senate, and Ulrich later confirmed that Haggerty was serving as an adviser. That has been a point of attack for Ulrich’s Queens Republican rivals and seems likely to be as well for the Senate Democrats. The winner of a GOP primary between Ulrich and Juan Reyes will face Democratic State Sen. Joe Addabbo. But I don’t believe any specific objections were filed in that race.

Meanwhile, the Queens Republicans (the Ragusa faction) tried to kick Democratic State Sens. Tony Avella and Toby Ann Stavisky off the Independence Party lines. Renowned election lawyers Marty Connor, the former Senate minority leader, put on quite a show defending Stavisky’s petitions, yelling and pounding on his podium.

In the end, after lengthy wrangling, Connor was successful, and both Avella and Stavisky will remain on the ballot.

“He’s really earning his $30,000,” remarked one observer in the crowd.




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  • Vince Tabone, EVC-QGOP

    Unfortunately they did throw Eric Minott off the ballot in the 35th AD. A young energetic Hispanic-American candidate who had been developing quite a nice campaign team. I think he is someone we will see again in the future despite this aborted attempt. He is smart and has a genuine local following and his a nice guy who served his country in the military. He will make a fine representative if he runs again and is not turned off by the process.

  • BAYSIDE

    Everyone has to get petitions period. Insurgents in North Queens who don’t have County Backing like Steve Behar ,John Duane., John Messer, Issac Sasson and Elio Forcina all managed to get enough signatures to get on the ballot. How Come the Queens G.O.P. always has a tough time. What is the point of even seeking a Party nomination if they can’t even help you with signatures?

  • Fred

    I was there today and watched the proceedings for the first time. Very strange. Numerous democratic candidates were thrown off the ballot by the democratic party’s lawyer’s even though they collected hundred or even thousands of signatures, apparently becuase they were not the candidates endorsed by Democratic County. The Democratic Party’s lawyers looked for any technical mistake and were very good and very aggressive. Really smart guys. From what I learned from talking to people at the hearings Democratic petitions are usually not collected door to door like Republican or third party candidates so they are supposedly easier to collect but if the Candidate is not a County endorsed candidate then they still have a tough time surviving ballot challenges. In no instance did the Queens County Democratic Party’s lawyers challenge any Republican candidates. Instead this Mr. Haggerty (is he a lawyer? if he was stripped of his voting rights as a felon how come not his law license?) objected to the Republican Assembly candidates signatures asserting technical defects. Apparently this Mr. Mingott in the 35th Assembly District (Jackson Heights) got enough signatures but had problems with his witnesses statments so Mr. Haggerty had him thrown off. I asked a clerk and they said now there is no general election contest in the 35th AD. So much for democracy. California has a better system. Candidate only have to pay a filing fee to help defray the costs of conducting elections. That seems fairer.

  • http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com VJ Machiavelli

    Marty and John are “Buddies” and I guess it was “Fun” to see them in action before the Board.

    I guess John does not believe in lying low and if his appeal is denied he will become a “Jail House Lawyer”

    Before there was the “Oracle of Delphi” there was Count Vampire J. Machiavelli

    VJ Machiavelli
    Power to the People who “VOTE”