Guess Who's Freaking Out About a New Orange County Ethics Complaint?
Mr. Transparency, Brandon Calore, is trying to hide the bad news while Mrs. Cristina Kisel is about to have a visit from the State Police.
Above: MAGA Candidates for Mayor (Woodbury, Brandon Calore, left) and Town Supervisor (Monroe, Tony Cardone, right) are laughing about the money they’re both raking in from local real estate developers.
Both men also share the labor of an unpaid — at least officially — kid named Elias Cunningham. Mr. Cunningham, for those of you who don’t know, is Convicted Felon Tim Mitts, if Tim Mitts needed his parent’s permission every time he wanted to post something on Facebook.
We can say this because, if you look at any local politician’s Facebook presence, you’ll find Mr. Elias Cunningham in there trolling them. Since Mr. Cunningham is the campaign manager for both Brandon Calore and Tony Cardone — as well as for failed New York State Assembly candidate, Tom Lapolla, and failed New York State Senate Candidate Dorey Houle — we think it’s important that you know a little more about Elias.
If Mr. Cunningham goes 0-4 this November, we hope the local MAGA candidates will take the hint that, whatever you’re paying Mr. Cunningham, it’s too much and you’re being ripped off. Just like how Tim Mitts does business.
And if you’re not a MAGA candidate, but are afraid of the direction this country is going in, here is Elias Cunningham with a man who has verifiably endangered the lives of every single American citizen, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
And if you don’t think Robert F. Kennedy hasn’t put you in danger, you might want to stop here and watch this video before moving on.
Psst: After this article was published, Mr. Cunningham claimed he wasn’t Dorey Houle’s State Senate campaign manager. While we can’t say we blame him for wanting to distance himself from that disaster, we’ve learned you can’t believe a thing that kid says. He’s too busy claiming anything he doesn’t like is AI.
So, we’ve reached out to Mrs. Houle to clarify what role, if any, Mr. Cunningham played in the Houle State Senate campaign, and we will update this story accordingly. It may be he’s 0-1 and not 0-2, which still makes him a loser in our books.
Howdy. I was going to wait until posting until I had election results to share. But, as is the way of things in Southern Orange County … Something stupid happened. Well, two stupid things. And both are incredibly relevant to the election.
So, if you don’t mind, I will keep this post as brief as I can. With the promise that tomorrow, after I’m back from the State Troopers barracks, I’ll have election analysis and news to share with you. (And if you’re wondering why I’ll be at the State Troopers, keep reading.)
Brandon Calore Reported to Orange County Board of Ethics
On Monday afternoon, The Monroe Gazette was forwarded an ethics complaint, submitted by Mr. Antonio Cortese, to the Orange County Board of Ethics. The Town of Woodbury does not have its own Ethics Board. And if you recall, Brandon Calore and Woodbury Town Supervisor, Kathryn Luciani, voted to weaken the Town of Woodbury’s Ethics Code. This was done so that they could employ their children without having to deal with any potential issues involving nepotism.
Since the Town of Woodbury does not have its own Ethics Board, the Orange County Board of Ethics has oversight on the actions of its Town Board members. That means, if you are a Town of Woodbury resident, with concerns about the behavior of the Town Board, you can use this form here, and submit it to boardofethics@orangecountygov.com
Unlike the Ethics Complaint submitted against Village of Woobury Mayor, Andrew Gicomaza, the Ethics Complaint submitted against Mr. Calore is very real. We spoke with Mr. Cortese to confirm its authenticity. And we’ll note here that Mrs. Elise Cagan, who filed the Village Ethics Complaint, did not reply to phone calls or emails requesting comment.
Now, whether or not Mid-Hudson News puts just as much “effort” into reporting on this real complaint as they did on the fake one is to be determined. If they don’t cover it at all, it’s my opinion then that Woodbury residents will have their proof that the Village Ethics complaint was a planted news story by State Senator James G. Skoufis. If true, the Village of Woodbury should sue Mid-Hudson News for libel.
Now let’s get to the real complaint.
What follows is the text provided by Mr. Cortese to the Orange County Board of Ethics in his email.
Mr. Brandon Calore resigned from his position at the Town of Cornwall following a series of accusations concerning his violent and belligerent behavior toward his co-workers:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z8HEjUTje-6FjrBOFLwie8VBrOtJPFNe/view?usp=sharing
After losing his job in Cornwall, Mr. Calore became employed with a company known as CIOFFI. CIOFFI is currently being sued by Orange County over allegations that it illegally cleared parkland in Gonzaga park without receiving approval from the County to do so. (Gonzaga Park is owned by Orange County.)
Mr. Calore’s employment with CIOFFI corresponded with receipt by CIOFFI of building violations issued by the Village of Woodbury: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TRfLDguPiAAOssJjh1StP4r54ErpSnrf/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=114650707322703238759&rtpof=true&sd=true
Not long after Mr. Calore became a CIOFFI employee, he announced his intentions to run for mayor of Woodbury.
Presently, Mr. Calore is a Woodbury Town Board member. The Woodbury Town Code says: “No board member, Town employee or Town consultant shall disclose confidential information acquired by him in the course of his official duties or use such information to further his personal interests or the private interests of others.”
I believe that Mr. Calore used his position on the Town Board to provide inside information to CIOFFI as part of his employment arrangement with them, providing them with an inside track concerning the violations they were served with by the Village of Woodbury.
I also believe Mr. Calore is using his position on the Town Board to assist CIOFFI in exchange for their financial backing and support in his mayoral campaign. To date, Mr. Calore refuses to provide any information concerning his campaign contributions and expenditures, despite being required to do so according to the New York State Board of Elections.
CIOFFI has ties to South Blooming Grove through Isaac Ekstein. Mr. Ekstein has ties with Motty Kellner, who operates the United Jewish Community of Woodbury. Presently, the United Jewish Community of Woodbury is putting out flyers and other campaign paraphernalia promoting Mr. Calore’s candidacy for Mayor. I believe this is payment in exchange for Mr. Calore’s assistance he provided CIOFFI.
The Woodbury Town Code also says, “Misuse of privilege. No board member, Town employee or Town consultant shall by his conduct give reasonable basis for the impression that another can improperly influence him or unduly enjoy his favor in the performance of his official duties or that he is affected by kinship, rank, position or influence of any party or person.”
I am asking you to investigate this arrangement between CIOFFI, Mr. Calore, and Mr. Kellner. Given that Mr. Kellner also owns property and rentals in Woodbury, and could stand to benefit from having undue influence over Mr. Calore’s votes in Woodbury as the Town Board member as it relates to laws governing rental properties.
Thank you.
Antonio Cortese
After I posted on the Woodbury United Facebook Group about this Ethics Complaint, the group was suspended.
I can’t prove it was Mr. Cunningham or Mr. Calore who reported the group. Nor can I report it to you as fact. But I can share with you my opinion that it was. The timing speaks for itself.
Now. Here’s something very funny about this suspension. Mr. Brandon Calore was alleged to have assaulted a disabled teenager in an ice cream shop. He was arrested for battery. He threatened to kill a local politician for failing to post something on Facebook that wasn’t sufficiently MAGA enough. His co-workers at Cornwall accused him of making violent threats. And then there’s the sad story about what his brother did to his wife. So, when I think of legitimately dangerous individuals to the community, I think of Brandon Calore.
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Come join the fun. We’re just getting started.
Skoufis Associate Cristina Brueck Kiesel Reported to State Police
Pictured Above: Orange County Democratic Committee Chair, Zak Constantine (Left) with State Senator James G. Skoufis, Peggy Kazdan, Cristina Brueck Kiesel, and Bill Kazdan. The Kazdans and Mrs. Kiesel, alongside James Skoufis’s Protect Monroe-Woodbury, have undertaken a massive gaslighting effort in the run up to the Town of Monroe Democratic Primary for Supervisor. Mrs. Cristina Brueck Kiesel did not respond well to our investigative reporting, which required us to visit the State Police, after Mrs. Kiesel left a series of verifiably false statements, with malicious intent, under the name of a charitable organization she does not work for or represent.
So, back in May, I told you about the phantom not-for-profit Mrs. Cristina Brueck Kiesel claims to operate, the Monroe Downtown Revitalization Committee. To reiterate, Mrs. Kiesel claimed to operate a not-for-profit, and took money from Monroe Village residents that was, ostensibly, supposed to then go back to the Village of Monroe.
According to the people we spoke with for our story, with direct knowledge of this situation, Mrs. Kiesel gave some money to the Village, and kept the rest for herself. The thing is, there is no not-for-profit known as the Monroe Downtown Revitalization Committee in the IRS database that we could find. (You can search it for yourself here.) So, that’s illegal.
Given that Mrs. Kiesel is a former candidate for Monroe Town Clerk, was part of the United Monroe Executive Committee, and prominently represents herself as speaking for the Town of Monroe Democratic Committee — More on that in a moment — this is newsworthy.
On top of all that, we also reported that the Monroe Downtown Revitalization Committee — much like the United Jewish Community of Woodbury — if they are registered not-for-profits with New York State, are legally prohibited from endorsing political candidates. It’s illegal for them to do so.
And yet …
So, I went ahead and reported the Monroe Downtown Revitalization Committee to the Charities Bureau of the Attorney Generals office. The Intake #1-1080199512 and anyone with information about Cristina Brueck Kiesel is encouraged to contact the Attorney General’s office at charities.complaints@ag.ny.gov. This morning, we sent all of the information we shared with you here in this story to the AG’s office.
But wait, there’s more …
Way back when I was involved with United Monroe, I helped Emily Convers get the legal assistance needed to set up a not-for-profit known as Preserve Hudson Valley. I was never involved with the group itself — I moved to Buffalo shortly after it was established — but I did help to get it set up.
Preserve Hudson Valley is a legally registered not-for-profit. In August of 2024, Mrs. Cristina Brueck Kiesel changed the name of another, unrelated Facebook Page she had to “Preserve Hudson Valley.”
I confirmed with Mr. and Mrs. Hall, the caretakers of Preserve Hudson Valley, that Mrs. Kiesel has NO involvement with Preserve Hudson Valley. (The organization today is frozen in place because of the lawsuit between Kiryas Joel and United Monroe and the court order that expires, I believe, at the end of 2028.)
But color me surprised when the not-for-profit I helped set up decided to start posting this nonsense about Monroe Town Councilwoman, Maureen Richardson, and your second favorite local news reporter. (Blaise is the first.)
So, given that Mrs. Kiesel falsely claimed to be operating a not-for-profit that doesn’t exist, and is seen above representing herself on the part of another not-for-profit she has no actual association with, I did some digging. If you look at Mrs. Kiesel’s Facebook Page, you’ll see she identifies herself as an employee at the West Point Association of Graduates.
Given that Mrs. Kiesel is so active on Facebook attacking others, one would think she would update that status if she was no longer employed there, right? Wrong.
I called the West Point Association of Graduates, and confirmed that Mrs. Kiesel no longer works there.
So, now you have three instances of Mrs. Cristina Brueck Kiesel falsely representing herself as operating a not-for-profit, posting as a not-for-profit she does not have any involvement with, and claiming to work for West Point when she hasn’t worked there in nearly three months.
If I hadn’t used the words con artist to describe Tim Mitts, they could certainly be applied to Mrs. Kiesel. (A source we spoke with while working on this story did refer to her as “the Wicked Witch of the East.”)
This Message Is Not Approved By The Monroe Democratic Committee
Pictured Above: Yes. It’s the Kazdans again. We’ll get to them in a second. But here’s the story: I spoke with Monroe Town Democratic Committee Chair, Tom Kemnitz. It’s not clear if this Facebook Page you see pictured is real. (Yes, metaphysically it’s real. I mean real as in, it’s not clear this page is authorized or even endorsed by the real Monroe Town Democratic Committee.)
But what is clear is that the page, like the fake Preserve Hudson Valley — the real Preserve Hudson Valley Page can be viewed here — was set up my Mrs. Cristina Kiesel. And if you look at it, this page is filled with two things:
-Promotions for David Rabbitts, Brandon Bernard, and Paul Phelan. (The Monroe Town Democratic Committee endorsed Maureen Richardson for Supervisor, not David Rabbitts.) The page also does not promote a single other candidate endorsed by the committee.
-Gaslighting posts by former Monroe Town Board candidate, Bill Kazdan. A man who only mentioned his DWI to the Town of Monroe Democratic Committee after they endorsed him. Glug glug glug. (Normally, I could forgive someone having a DWI. But to be both someone who puts their community in danger on the roads and on the Internet? That’s a bridge too far for me.)
Look above at the vote totals. Had Mr. Kazdan put in any effort, the Monroe Town Board would have been spared the near 11% tax hike. It would have Village Police patrolling Town roads to help keep everyone safe. And you would have absolutely none of the nonsense and drama that routinely occurs after Tax Hike Tony Cardone speaks.
That’s the world we could have lived in, factually, had Mr. Kazdan put in the smallest bit of effort. So, any time he opens his mouth on any of these local Monroe groups, you should know about the world that could have been.
What happened instead, is that Bill Kazdan did such a poor job campaigning that he lost a winnable race in the Fall of 2023 for a seat that is now occupied by Sal Scancarello.
Mr. Kazdan, when asked by The Monroe Gazette about his lack of effort, first made a bevy of excuses, and repeatedly attacked Monroe Town Councilwoman Maureen Richardson. (Whom we will point out, had over 300 more votes than her running mate, Mr. Kazdan, which is directly and factually attributable to his lack of effort. So again, that near 11% tax increase? That’s Bill Kazdan’s fault, and that’s a fact.)
When Mr. Kazdan ran out of excuses, he then told us he got sick at some point during the campaign. That’s true. He did. But that also didn’t prohibit him from campaigning for the entirety of the time when he was endorsed.
So, I think it’s important for Monroe residents to understand that, when James Skoufis sends out mailers as Protect Monroe-Woodbury, where he criticizes Maureen Richardson for missing a vote concerning Tony Cardone’s tax hike, had Mr. Kazdan actually put as much effort into his campaign as he does his alcoholic beverage intake, that Tax hike would NOT have passed.
Instead, regardless of Mrs. Richardson’s whereabouts, even without her, Dorey Houle, Tony Cardone, and Sal Scancarello had the majority to push through their bad budget.
I also think it’s worth noting that Mr. Kazdan and his wife, Peggy, are David Rabbitts’s largest campaign contributors outside of whatever funding Mr. Rabbitts is collected from Protect Monroe-Woodbury. (For instance, Mr. Rabbitts had to pay legal expenses to pay for defending his ballot signatures, and it has yet to be explained where the money came from for him to do that.)
I asked Mr. Kemnitz what, if any, consequences there are for Monroe Town Democratic Committee members such as Mrs. Kiesel, for establishing a fake online presence pretending to be the Committee, and for Mr. and Mrs. Kazdan to repeatedly post in every local Facebook group that they can that the Town Committee endorsed David Rabbitts, which is not at all factually accurate. (And of course, without disclosing their donations to Mr. Rabbitts.)
Mr. Kemnitz said there isn’t much in terms of the rules and regulations to govern this sort of behavior. So, as a registered Democrat, I and others will be joining the July Monroe Town Democratic Committee meeting, and we will be demanding action be taken against Mrs. Cristina Kiesel and both Kazdans. Mr. Kazdan would not answer questions as to whether or not he was involved with the establishment of this local Democratic Committee Facebook Page. But given that he and his wife are donors to Mr. Rabbitts, and this fake Facebook Page was set up to promote Mr. Rabbitts, and Mr. Kazdan’s constant presence on the page attacking Councilwoman Richardson, I think those facts, taken together, spell trouble for Bill. Glug glug glug.
Pictured Above: Failed Town Board candidate, Bill Kazdan, lying to Monroe residents about David Rabbitts running a “positive and constructive campaign.” The proof that Bill’s statement is false can be found below on a mailer that Monroe residents received on Monday:
Front -
Back:
Now, I do have to tell you Mrs. Kiesel has also not replied to our attempts for comment on the issues detailed for you in this story. She did; however, take the time to post on behalf of a real charity she has NO association or affiliation with, and stated the following. Mrs. Kiesel has since deleted these posts, but I want you to know that they exist, and we will be providing them to the New York State Police. We will then be taking legal action against Mrs. Kiesel for defamation and harassment.
I got this rule. You see, if you think The Monroe Gazette sucks. That’s fine. If you think it reads like The National Enquirer. That’s fine too. But when you try to not so cleverly dox someone, and you make a series of verifiably false statements, that’s libel. Everything we say on here is backed up by fact. If you can’t say the same, I will sue. Every single time.
So, I’ll be at the State Police to share my concerns about Mrs. Kiesel’s defamation and doxing attempt, and then I’ll be meeting with my lawyer. That’s how I’m going to spend my Wednesday.
But one last thing? I’ve sent two messages to Mrs. Kiesel. Both were efforts to have her share her side of the story prior to publication for this story. For her to claim I’ve sexually harassed someone so fundamentally disgusting on the inside and out? Well, all I gotta say about Mrs. Kiesel’s claim on that front is: