POUGHKEEPSIE – Town of Fishkill Councilwoman Louise Daniele is asking the New York State Attorney General to launch an investigation into fellow Councilman John Forman. Daniele says her colleague, who is running for the town supervisor position on the Republican and Conservative lines has been committing fraud in addition to his recent arrest.
Forman was arrested on Tuesday by the East Fishkill Police and charged with misdemeanor criminal possession of stolen property after an “anti-Forman” campaign sign was found in his vehicle. (The breaking Mid-Hudson News story regarding the incident can be found here.) Forman was contacted by the police and admitted to having more signs that he didn’t own, stored at his house near Sylvan Lake in Hopewell Junction. Forman said the arrest was the result of an “elaborate hoax” perpetrated by his opponent.
Daniele has been saying for months that Forman does not reside in Fishkill and has been defrauding the taxpayers by serving on the board in a town he does not live in. Many of the signs were recovered at Forman’s Overlook Road house in Hopewell Junction. Daniele asserts that Forman provided police with the Overlook Road address as his primary address and noted that his car is registered to that address.
Forman has downplayed Daniele’s residency assertion while claiming that he rents a room where he stays in Fishkill. Councilwoman Daniele says she has asked Forman to provide a copy of the lease to prove he rents a room in Fishkill and none has been provided.
On Thursday Daniele filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office. She lists “Violation of Ethics Law and the Constitution of NY State” as the focal points of the complaint. The allegation is that Forman is breaking the law by serving on the town board of a town he does not reside in and he is committing fraud.
“He has fraudulently received Town of Fishkill taxpayer money as a salary since January 2022 – totaling $16,461…
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