Why County Democrats Ran Up So Many Ethics Violations

Short answer: because the Republicans trained them to think they could get away with it.

Have done a little digging, and learned that former Monroe County GOP Chairman Steve Minarik didn't like taking ethical violations by opponents to the Fair Election Practices Committee. Insiders say his response to GOP candidates who wanted to file a complaint was: Suck it up and take it and give as good as you get.

County Democrats became used to Republicans not pursuing these things too often.

With control of the County Legislature at stake, Morelle and his crew decided to push the ethical envelope, and then some, in the last weeks of the campaign. They figured Republicans wouldn't call them out on it.

However, current GOP Chairman Bill Reilich thinks about this differently than Minarik. Reilich's view: These people are committing fraud. Let's hold them accountable.

Morelle & Co. only found this out when they were hauled up before the Fair Elections committee early last week and received the first ruling against them for fraud on Wednesday, to be followed a few days later by a string of further rulings against them for campaign ethics violations.