Democratic candidate Peter Chatzky made jokes about teenage sex in old posts that have come to light.

Democratic Candidate’s Inappropriate Social Media Posts Resurface

A wealthy Democrat engaged in a competitive primary in New York’s upstate suburbs has come under fire due to troubling past social media posts. Peter Chatsky, 65, a billionaire software executive and deputy mayor of Briarcliff Manor, made questionable remarks about child pornography, sexual encounters with minors, and even inappropriate comments regarding animals.

Chatsky is vying for the Democratic nomination to run against Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in the 17th Congressional District, which encompasses parts of Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, and Dutchess counties. While some of his Facebook posts have since been deleted, screenshots highlighting his audacious comments have circulated.

One notable post from August 2020 revealed an email in which Chatsky mentioned a threat involving a Bitcoin ransom related to an inappropriate teen porn site and a video of him. Responding to a friend’s question about whether she had watched such content, he quipped, “Maybe both. I’m sure it’s neither,” followed by an affirmation that elicited a laugh emoji from his friend.

In 2016, a friend jokingly suggested giving him a “17-year-old Lithuanian gymnast” for a birthday gift, to which Chatsky responded with a reference to the “Lithuanian exception.”

In addition to tasteless jokes about masturbation, Chatsky made off-color comments about then-President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, questioning, “So is Obama Biden or what?”

His humor failed to show restraint even during natural disasters. In a humorous comment during Hurricane Sandy’s aftermath, he wrote, “Hey Eileen, punch me,” seemingly making light of the devastation it caused.

His posts about his pets also exhibited similarly vulgar humor. One photo from 2022 featured him referring to a cat as a “cat slut,” and another post included a suggestive image of his dog, captioned, “Her inbox is exploding.”

Having invested $5 million of his own money into the campaign for this contentious seat, Chatsky is competing against several Democratic challengers, including Rockland County Councilwoman Beth Davidson and former television journalist Mike Sachs.

As Chatsky continues his campaign, Sonia Ossorio, a senior adviser and former president of the NYC chapter of the National Organization for Women, emphasized that such posts demonstrate his unsuitability for Congress. She expressed disbelief that his wealth could shield him in his candidacy, asserting, “We are in a new era, and no one can tolerate such poor judgment.” She also remarked on the potential for a woman to win the seat as a form of poetic justice.