Morse rejects calls to resign
Mayor refutes abuse allegations from 1980s, ’90s
COHOES, N.Y. » As the list of local officials — both Democrat and Republican — calling for his resignation grows, Mayor Shawn Morse remains defiant in the face of domestic abuse allegations dating back three decades.
Morse issued a statement late Monday calling a report of those allegations in Sunday’s edition of The Times Union the work of “those looking to stop the momentum we have in Cohoes and attempting to downplay the incredible work my administration has accomplished in the past two years.” The story comes a month after the newspaper reported details of 911 call allegedly made by Morse’s wife in which she claimed Morse threw her to the ground and choked her, claims Morse denies but are the subject of a state police investigation.
The latest allegations involve another woman whom Morse allegedly dated in the 1980s and a third he reportedly dated in the 1990s. Both women declined to discuss the allegations, but several other sources — both named and unnamed and including Assemblyman John McDonald III, D- Cohoes — provided details of what they described as abusive incidents involving the retired city firefighter and former chairman of the Albany County Legislature, who was elected mayor in November 2015.
“I refuse to dignify news stories that are based upon unnamed sources, political opportunists, rumor and innuendo from 30 years ago,” the Democratic mayor said. “I respectfully urge those who have expressed their opinion to refrain from rushing to judgment on this matter based upon unnamed sources in a newspaper story. In the
absence of a credible, sworn allegation that I engaged in wrongdoing, I respectfully request my fellow Democrats and the good people of Cohoes to keep an open mind and permit any such allegations to be resolved by the courts, where I am entitled to the same measures of due process as any other citizen.”
Calls for his resignation quickly followed publication of the latest story, with Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy, D- Colonie, and Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, another Democrat, leading the charge. The Albany County Democratic Committee issued a statement asking Morse to resign if the allegations are true.
“My work as mayor of Cohoes and as public servant remain at the utmost importance, as well as being a dutiful husband and father to my family,” Morse said. “Our city and community has never been prouder or stronger. … I have never allowed the naysayers and those who don’t believe in the Spindle City stop our progress and our future in the pursuit of being an All America City.”
The city’s Republican chairman, Christopher Davis, added his voice to the conversation Tuesday, and though he did not directly call on Morse to resign, he did say the mayor should keep the city’s best interests at heart.
“Amid the calls to step aside being made by members of the Albany County Democratic Party following the allegations made by several potential vic- tims, the only question we the people, as well as the mayor, must ask himself is “Can our city government proceed as effectively as before with this dark shadow that has now been cast over it with the surfacing of past allegations?’” he wrote. “If the answer is ‘no,’ then the choice should be clear.”
Morse first locked horns with The Times-Union after the newspaper published a report of a 911 call reportedly made by Morse’s wife, Brenda, about 7:45 a.m. Friday, Nov. 11, alleging her husband had grabbed her by the throat and thrown her down during an argument. She also claimed, the paper reported, Morse snatched a cellphone from her hand as she placed the 911 call and smashed it.
While the mayor admitted he and his wife had an emotional discussion about one of their children, he denied the confrontation ever became physical. Morse explained on Facebook he and his wife had a disagreement about one of their children the previous day that had continued through the night and into Friday. After a sleepless night, Morse said his wife asked him to leave so she could have some time to think, but he initially refused, saying he preferred to continue talking. He did eventually go to Dunkin’ Donuts for coffee, he said, and found police at his home when he returned.