Tupper Town Council candidate back in race

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October 27, 2009

By KIM SMITH DEDAM The Press Republican Tue Oct 27, 2009, 10:51 AM EDT

TUPPER LAKE — Tupper Lake Town Council candidate Robert Fuller has been cleared of possible Hatch Act violations.

Fuller stopped campaigning about a week ago, after an anonymous phone call to the Office of Special Counsel in Washington, D.C., raised questions about his run for office.

The Hatch Act is a federal regulation stating people who work for or manage personnel for programs funded with federal money cannot run for political office.

Fuller, a Republican, is superintendent of water and wastewater for the Village of Tupper Lake.

He learned of the final federal ruling Monday. The Washington lawyers do not present findings to the public or the press.

“The decision came in after the Office of Special Counsel reviewed all aspects of the village water and wastewater budget,” Fuller said in an interview Monday night.

“He went back through records into the late 1970s and could find no violation at all because there has been no federal money involved. They are all state funds.

“I also asked him, if I was applying for federal stimulus funds, if my campaign would affect any of this. I told him I would not want to jeopardize either the village or the town from obtaining funds.

“He said it would not put stimulus funding in jeopardy. He said a letter of approval with their decision would be coming from his supervisor.”

Both Fuller and Tupper Lake Village Police Chief Thomas Fee, who is running for Tupper Lake town supervisor, were cleared of any potential Hatch Act violation.

Fuller initially withdrew his campaign, saying he would not serve if elected — as advised by federal attorneys when the investigation got under way.

Fee suspended all campaign activity, awaiting the decision.

Both Fuller and Fee’s names were already printed on the ballots.

Cleared under the Hatch Act, Fuller said he is back in the race.

Asked how he would recoup lost time, Fuller said, “It is what it is. During this time, while waiting for the review, people have approached me and told me to re-enter the race if everything was cleared. I’ll leave it up to the voters. If they want me, I’d be proud to serve them.”

Fuller said that an initial ruling came last week, clearing him, but he urged the Office of Special Counsel to check older records.

“I wanted to be sure.”

He has worked with the village Water and Sewer Department for nearly 30 years.

“I would really like to thank the Office of Special Counsel in Washington D.C., for turning this around very fast. Their attorney reviewed an incredible amount of information in a very short amount of time.”

With less than a week to go before the general election, Tupper Lake races now stand contested.

The candidates for supervisor are Fee and incumbent Roger Amell.

The candidates for the two open Town Council seats are Fuller, incumbent Kathleen Lefebvre and Gerald Fletcher.

E-mail Kim Smith Dedam at:

kdedam@pressrepublican.com