James Gaughran releases TV ad in state Senate race

By: 
Rick Brand
Publication: 
Newsday
Oct
12
2016

Democratic state Senate contender James Gaughran has launched his first TV ad and is attacking veteran Senate Republican Carl Marcellino on public corruption.

In the ad, Gaughran shows pictures of himself as a Suffolk County legislator, saying he “wrote my first law to fight corruption at age 28,” adding “There’s still too many unethical politicians.”

A female narrator then says Marcellino “played dirty politics for decades,” supporting former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos “even after he was indicted,” and being part of the political machine that “ruined Oyster Bay finances.”

Kathy Wilson, Marcellino’s spokeswoman, said she has not seen the ad, but when she read the script, she said the attacks were way off.

“He has absolutely nothing to do with the town of Oyster Bay finances and that gives you an idea of what kind of truth is in it,” Wilson said of Marcellino.