The state Board of Elections has disagreed with Assemblyman Greg Ball, saying state Sen. Vincent Leibell need not file expenditure reports related to the recent Assembly primary.

Ball, R-Carmel, contended Leibell was required to do so because he transferred thousands of dollars to the Southeast Republican Committee, much of which the committee gave to Ball’s opponent. In an announcement last week, the assemblyman stated the board notified Leibell he was violating state election law.

But an elections spokesman said that wasn’t true.

“The party committee has to file, not the Leibell Senate committee,” said Robert Brehm, a Board of Elections spokesman. “Senator Leibell was not in a primary. There is no letter (of violation), no judgment.”

The Southeast Republican Committee is up to date on its paperwork.

Ball easily won the Republican primary this month against John Degnan, a contest Ball maintains included illegal spending by Leibell and two political committees targeting Ball.

Ball and Degnan will face off again in November’s general election to settle who will represent the 99th Assembly District.

The candidates said they hope to focus on the issues in the weeks leading to the general election. In November, Ball will appear on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines. Degnan, a registered Republican, will be on the Democratic and Working Families lines. The 99th covers Patterson, Southeast and Carmel in Putnam County; North Salem, Somers and Yorktown in Westchester; and Pawling in Dutchess County.

Ball spent nearly $300,000 this year, according to state records, but about one-third of that came before he knew he had a primary opponent. In 2006, when he unseated longtime Assemblyman Willis Stephens Jr., Ball spent $188,345 prior to the primary.

“Fighting back a smear campaign comes with a price tag,” Ball said. “When you take on the world and shake up Albany and Club Putnam like I have, you step on the toes of some very powerful people.”

State financial records show Degnan, a former Brewster mayor and trustee, spent a little more than $90,000 on the primary.

“Certainly money is a big part of it,” Degnan said. “But I look at it as one part of a critical path. We’re putting the word out there that we’re staying on critical issues: the economy, the energy crisis, property-tax reform.”

Much of Degnan’s money in the primary – about $79,500 – came from the Southeast GOP Committee. Leibell, R-Patterson, in the weeks leading up to the primary, transferred about $110,000 to the committee.

Ray Maguire, a Leibell spokesman, agreed with the elections agency and said Ball, as someone who writes the laws, should know the laws. He also scoffed at Ball’s plan to go to the attorney general.

Source: Poughkeepsie Journal