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Fair Campaign Committee Says Boak Acted 'Unfairly' In Race Against Murphy

The Westchester Fair Campaign Practices Committee says the state senate campaign of Democratic candidate Ali Boak, a Pound Ridge resident, acted unfairly in some of its mailings and statements in her race to unseat Republican Terrence Murphy, a Yorktown resident.

Terrence Murphy and Ali Boak

Terrence Murphy and Ali Boak

Photo Credit: File

The committee, a nonpartisan commission made up of both Republicans and Democrats met on Oct. 20 to hear complaints from the Murphy campaign. 

Murphy complained on Facebook and Twitter that Boak said: “Millions of lost jobs, worst housing crisis in decades, rampant greed. Trump and Terrence Murphy call it business. Our families know better #truth.”

The committee said the Boak camp did not provide proof of their claims.

Murphy said Boak gave the false impression that he voted against the Child Victims Act and that he voted against removing the statute of limitations on cases of sexual assault against children. The committee ruled that no votes were recorded by Murphy on the issue.

Boak said she disagrees with the committee's ruling and that they failed to see the clear facts of the case.

"It's a proven fact that Terrence Murphy and his Republican colleagues hid behind procedure like cowards when they had the chance to vote on the content of the Child Victims Act," Boak said. "If Terrence Murphy really cared about the safety of our children, he and Senate Republicans could have brought the bill to the floor, but they didn't."

The committee issued a "no finding" on two complaints the Boak campaign had about Murphy's campaign.

Boak's camp complained that Murphy's campaign continues attacks against her in relation to a non-profit she is associated with even though the attacks were already found to be unfair. Boak also complained that Murphy's campaign claims that she did not report income as a yoga instructor in 2015 on her ethics filing, whereas she states that she did not teach yoga classes, nor did she earn income from teaching yoga in 2015.

The committee ruled Boak was unable to identify the sources of the Facebook ads. 

 "Ali Boak is a convicted liar who has been found to have engaged in unfair campaign tactics seven times," William Faulkner, a spokesman for Murphy's campaign said.  "It's now proven twice that Alison Boak will lie about anything. We trust she will be remedying her misstatements."

Previously, the committee had ruled both Boak and Murphy had acted unfairly in their campaigns. To read about that, click here.

The purpose of the Westchester Fair Campaign Committee is to promote a climate in which candidates conduct honest and fair campaigns. The Committee encourages candidates to conduct campaigns openly and fairly, to discuss issues, to refrain from dishonest and defamatory attacks, and not to use campaign materials that distort the facts.

The 40th Senate District includes Beekman and Pawling in Dutchess County, Carmel, Patterson and Southeast and Brewster in Putnam County, and Peekskill, Cortlandt, Lewisboro, Mount Pleasant, New Castle, North Salem, Pound Ridge, Somers, Yorktown, Mount Kisco, Briarcliff Manor, Buchanan, Croton-on-Hudson, Pleasantville and Sleepy Hollow in Westchester.

To view the complete ruling, click here

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