Weinstock accuses Vigilant President Katz of violating Hatch Act

Robert Pelaez
Primary challenger Michael Weinstock has accused Vigilant Fire Department President Philip Katz for violating the Hatch Act. (Photo courtesy of Michael Weinstock)

Great Neck resident Michael Weinstock accused Vigilant Fire Department President and attorney Philip Katz of misconduct last week, saying he was supporting U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) and obstructing Weinstock’s primary bid.

A former Vigilant firefighter for more than a decade, Weinstock sent out a press release on Sunday that accuses Katz of using his position as firehouse president, and firehouse resources “to hamper” Weinstock’s congressional campaign.

“The overwhelming majority of firefighters I know are exceptionally good people,” Weinstock said in the release. “But this guy continues to use fire department resources to support my opponent.  It’s not just wrong- it’s illegal.”

Katz said there was no basis for the allegations and called them “extremely troubling” to hear, in an email to Blank Slate Media.

“I hope the voting public remembers that Michael Weinstock made baseless allegations against an agency whose sole mission is to serve its community and keep it safe, and that those allegations were made in bad faith, that they were baseless and that they were simply made to further his own political objectives,” Katz said in the email.

According to a complaint Weinstock sent to federal authorities on Feb. 16, Weinstock accused Katz of conducting a “letter-writing crusade, designed to damage the Weinstock for Congress campaign” eight days after Katz organized a photo-op with Suozzi at the firehouse.

Weinstock is vying for the state’s 3rd Congressional District which includes Manhasset, Roslyn, Port Washington, Great Neck and Floral Park, among other areas.  The district has been represented by Suozzi since he was first elected in 2016.

A representative from Suozzi’s campaign office declined to comment on the matter.

Weinstock provided a “Cease and Desist Letter” printed on Vigilant stationery, which forbade his campaign from using any photographs of Weinstock wearing his Vigilant firefighting gear at Ground Zero.

According to Weinstock, Katz “unfairly” used his title of Vigilant president in a letter to The Island Now in which he “told residents that he strongly opposed Weinstock’s candidacy because Weinstock was never a firefighter at Ground Zero.”

In the letter, published on Oct. 20, 2019, Katz said, “according to our records, Mr. Weinstock neither volunteered to assist with those efforts nor did he participate in those efforts as a member of Vigilant.”

Weinstock said that allegation was untrue and provided pictures of himself at Ground Zero.

He said Katz could have submitted a letter regarding his own personal opinions on Weinstock and his congressional campaign, but said using his presidential title is illegal.

Weinstock also accused Katz of using the official Facebook page of the Vigilant Fire Company to spread falsehoods about Weinstock while deleting all favorable comments and “blocking” residents supportive of Weinstock.

According to a receipt of acknowledgment provided by Weinstock, the Hatch Act Unit received his complaint on Feb. 26.

The Hatch Act, a federal law passed in 1939, limits the political activities of federal, and in some cases state and local, employees who work in connection with federally funded programs, according to the Office of Special Counsel.

Though Katz’s position is not classified as a federal employee, Weinstock said since the fire department receives funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an agency within the Executive Branch, his position as president could qualify Katz in the act’s definition of “employee”.

According to U.S. Code, “State or local officer or employee” means an individual employed by a State or local agency whose principal employment is in connection with an activity which is financed in whole or in part by loans or grants made by the United States or a Federal agency.

“When any politician seeks to leverage their long ago ended relationship with our fire department to further their political fortunes, we at Vigilant find that unfortunate,” Katz said on behalf of Vigilant. “We expect more from our politicians. We expect truth and good faith to be their guiding principles, at a minimum.”

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