New state senator raps predecessor for purging info
Newly elected Republican state Sen. Mike Martucci is criticizing the Democrat he unseated for deleting official constituent information before she left office.
The former senator, Jen Metzger of Rosendale, says it’s standard procedure for outgoing officeholders.
“On her way out the door, former state Senator Jen Metzger did one final favor for her constituents — she deleted them,” Martucci, of Westtown, said in a prepared statement. “Tens of thousands of constituent records, concerns and requests housed in the Senate constituent management system were purged on Metzger’s orders.”
Metzger said her predecessor, Republican John
Bonacic, carried out the same purge and that “the majority of new members in this session similarly did not receive this information from their predecessors.”
Also, Metzger said, “my office assisted the [Martucci] with his transition, meeting with his incoming staff in December to answer questions and provide them with a list of constituent cases that were in process after obtaining the constituents’ consent that their information could be shared.”
“It is not common practice to share the personal information of past constituent cases,” she said.
Martucci defeated Metzger, a one-term lawmaker, in the November 2020 election in New York’s 42nd Senate District.
Referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, Martucci
said: “I know that [Metzger] had requests from everyday citizens looking for information about accessing the lifesaving vaccine. Stunningly, the former senator deleted all their concerns and requests.
“She may have been trying to hurt me, but instead she injured her former constituents,” he said. “It’s unfortunate and sad.”
Metzger said that, before leaving, she sent emails “to all constituents who previously contacted my office to let them know how they could reach the new senator if they needed assistance.”
She also said Martucci “should recognize that the campaign is now over and focus on the work of serving his constituents.”
Newly elected state Sen. Michelle Hinchey, D-Saugerties, also was not left any constituent information by her predecessor, according to Bianca Coppola, Hinchey’s communications director.
Coppola, like Metzger, said purging such records upon leaving office is “common practice.”
Hinchey’s predecessor in the state’s 46th Senate District, Republican George Amedore of Rotterdam, did not run for reelection. Hinchey defeated Republican Richard Amedure of Rensselaerville in the November vote.