Scaturro blasts GOP, challenges McCarthy

Richard Tedesco

Charging that his loss to Nassau County Legislator Fran Becker in the Republican primary was based on misrepresentations, attorney Frank Scaturro announced Wednesday that he would challenge Becker and Democratic incumbent Carolyn McCarthry in the race for the 4th Congressional District seat as a Conservative.

“The fight must be waged from inside and outside the party,” Scaturro said in a statement issued Wednesday explaining his decisiion to stay in the race  and not support Becker.

Becker, a Lynbrook Republican who had the backing of the Nassau County Republican party, soundly defeated Frank Scaturro in the June primary, drawing 55 percent of the overall vote to his challenger’s 44 percent. In raw numbers, Becker drew 6,357 votes to Scaturro’s 5,175. The race repeated the results of 2010, when Becker defeated Scaturro with the backing of the county Republican party.

Scaturro was certified as the write-in winner on the Conservative line, garnering 259 votes to 213 votes for Becker.

In announcing his decision, Scaturro called for Becker to withdraw from the race, contending that Becker’s primary victory was based on a “fraud” in trying to portray Scaturro as a liberal pretending to be a conservative. 

Scaturro said the Becker campaign circulated a flyer that said, “Warning: Frank Scaturro is an ultra-liberal masquerading as a conservative.”

The flyer had what Scaturro said was a doctored picture of Scaturro with former Sen. Arlen Specter. Specter, who was a Republican who later switched to the Democratic party, was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee when Scaturro served four years as the committee’s counsel for the Constitution during the Bush administration.

Scaturro said the effort to discredit him began before the primary campaign with Nassau County Republican Committee Chairman Joseph Mondello. 

“I have it on reliable information that chairman Mondello asked for information that could take me down,” Scaturro said in his statement.

He said Mondello sought to “sink” his campaign because he didn’t control him.

Asked whether he thought his candidacy would hurt the Republican cause in the election, Scaturro said he doesn’t think Becker can mount a “viable” campaign to beat McCarthy.

Scaturro described himself as a “principled conservative alternative” to McCarthy.

Asked what he thought his chances are to win the November election, Scaturro said, “I start in  deep hole without expectations in this race.”

But he said he’s a “long shot” because of the “hole that’s been dug by the Republicans.”

He also criticized Becker for running an inactive campaign in primary, refusing to debate Scaturro and supported by Republicans who were “coerced” by Mondello into working for the Becker campaign.

Becker  declined to respond to Scaturro’s accusations. He also said he was not concerned by Scaturro’s presence in the race.

“We have a very, very educated voter here on Long Island. They’re going to know if they want to beat Carolyn McCarthy, they’re going to know they’re throwing away their votes if they vote for Scaturro,” Becker said.

Attempts to reach Mondello for comment were unavailing.

Scaturro’s criticism of Becker and the Republicans is reminiscent of similar comments he made when the New Hyde Park native lost out to Becker as the party’s choice top run against McCarthy two years ago.

In the primary race two years ago preceding the election that returned McCarthy to Congress, Scaturro was in a three-way contest against Becker and Tea Party candidate Dan Maloney. He said Maloney was in the race to prevent him from taking on Becker one-on-one.

“The party bosses wanted the third candidate to be on ballot to take votes away from me,” Scaturro said during this year’s primary race in the 4th Congressional District. 

The reconfigured 4th Congressional District covers New Hyde Park, Floral Park, the Willistons, Mineola, Garden City, Rockville Centre, Franklin Square, Westbury, East Meadow, Freeport, Oceanside, Long Beach, Wantagh, Bellmore and Merrick.

Reach reporter Richard Tedesco by e-mail at rtedesco@theislandnow.com or by phone at 516.307.1045 x204. Also follow us on Twitter @theislandnow and Facebook at facebook.com/theislandnow.

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