PENN YAN - Following a tumultuous week of politics in Washington, Democratic Candidate for Congress in NY-23, Tracy Mitrano (D-Penn Yan), offered the following statement to call attention to the need for people disgusted by "business as usual" in Washington to support the candidacy of those who will stand against corruption.
"Yesterday we saw the culmination of the five-month impeachment trial of President Donald Trump - but the history books are not yet written. Is it any surprise that members of a corrupt system would not vote to remove another member of the same system? While a majority of senators do not feel that President Trump's actions warrant removal from office, they do not define for us how we feel about it. This moment tests us. It is a new chapter in the fight against corruption.
Sometimes corruption can feel like a far-fetched problem, too big and too distant for us to do anything about, but that is not true. Our own Representative Tom Reed is the poster boy for political corruption, yet he will soon be asking for our votes to stay in office. I agree with Republicans on one point: ultimately, this question will be decided at the ballot box. Not just when we elect a new president in November, but when we vote out so many other members of a corrupt political class, whose judgement, like Tom Reed’s, is clouded by the temptation of campaign contributions and power. With no moral judgment of his own and lacking in true leadership abilities, Tom Reed simply follows orders and reiterates talking points. While his “Just Tom” act and dirty campaign tricks have gotten him re-elected in the past, the time has come for his hypocritical “Tale of Two Toms” act to be called to account.
We have reached the depths of political corruption this week. It is time now to begin again the difficult path to a more authentically democratic place. I started on this path three years ago, with a promise not to accept a single dollar of corporate contributions or indulge, as Tom Reed has, in campaign lies, manipulations, or mistruths. Join me on this path. Express your frustration by volunteering to help us win this fight. This November vote to reject dark money and the corruption that trades away our healthcare, education, and livelihoods. Let's build a better future together."
