A candidate running for Congress in upstate New York was apparently caught on camera stealing his rival's campaign fliers from prospective voters' mailboxes.
Footage from a Scotia homeowner's Ring camera showed Joseph Mastroianni removing political mail from his mailbox, putting it in his pocket and stuffing his own flyers into the box.
“Bad, bad, bad,” Mastroianni says, as a young woman laughs in the background, according to the video, which was shot on Oct. 17.
Mastroianni, a Republican and Rotterdam City Council member, is challenging six-term Democratic Rep. Angelo Santabarbara in the 111th Congressional District, which includes Schenectady and Montgomery counties.
Alleged swipe and accompanying video News 6 in Albany first reported.
Unfortunately for Mastroianni, homeowners receive “mail delivery notification” emails every day that provide photos and videos of items the post office has placed in their mailboxes.
Last Thursday, the homeowner received an email in his mailbox that same day with a photo of a Santa Barbara campaign flyer. The accusers say Mastroianni can be seen on video snatching it.
Mail theft is a federal crime and can result in prison time.
Schenectady County Democratic Committee Chairman Frank Salamone filed a complaint regarding the theft with the U.S. Postal Service, State Board of Elections, State Police, Schenectady County Sheriff and Scotia Village Police Department.
“Mr. Salamone notified these agencies of video evidence showing that current Rotterdam City Councilman and New York City Council candidate Joe Mastroianni stole political mail from voters' mailboxes. “After discovering that the mail listed in the tip had not arrived, we retrieved the shocking video of Mr. Mastroianni's mail theft from her Ring doorbell,” the county Democratic Party leader, who is also an attorney, said in a press statement. said. .
Salamone provided footage of the mailman delivering Santa Barbara's election mail to a homeowner in Scotia Village, as well as clear footage of Mastroianni taking the mail, folding it and putting it in his pocket. was provided to the authorities. “He laughed and told his accomplice, 'Bad, bad, bad,' clearly admitting his wrongdoing,” the statement said.
Mr. Salamone called on Mr. Mastroianni to cease campaigning and immediately resign from the Rotterdam City Council.
“Given the fact that Mr. Mastroianni has committed or appears to have committed at least one federal crime, he clearly cannot continue this campaign,” Salamone said.
“It is not enough to cancel the parliamentary campaign; he must resign from the Rotterdam City Commission,” the statement added. “We like to say that elected officials are held to a higher standard, but in this case Mr. Mastroianni has not even met the standard set out in the Eighth Commandment, 'Thou shalt not steal.' I didn't.
Mastroianni did not respond to inquiries Wednesday.
