Week of August 21 – August 27, 2015
NEWS 11
Wormuth Pleads Guilty Former Halfmoon Town Supervisor to Serve 10 Months BALLSTON SPA — According to a press release issued on Tuesday, August 18, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced the guilty plea made in Saratoga County Court of Melinda “Mindy” Wormuth, the former Town of Halfmoon Supervisor, on state charges for stealing several campaign contributions donated to her campaign fund. The public corruption case arose out of a cooperative federal-state partnership between the Attorney General, the State Comptroller, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York. “Today’s guilty plea makes
it clear: public officials who violate the law by misusing campaign funds will be held accountable,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “Public officials must be held to the highest ethical standards and I’m proud to continue my ongoing partnership with Comptroller DiNapoli and other colleagues in government to root out public corruption across New York State.” Wormuth pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree in Saratoga County Court. The Honorable Matthew J. Sypniewski sentenced Wormuth to ten months of incarceration in the county jail with said term to run concurrent with a term of incarceration in a federal penitentiary
stemming from related charges in federal court. As part of the plea agreement, Wormuth must also pay $1,250 in restitution to the Friends of Mindy Wormuth campaign committee and terminate the committee in accordance with the New York State Election Law. Wormuth also agreed to contribute any remaining funds of that campaign committee to a charity that is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service, but is not one over which she or a member of her family holds controls or decision-making powers. The charges against Wormuth claimed that between July 2009 and July 2013, Wormuth cashed seven contribution checks, totaling $6,250, intended for Friends of
Saratoga Hospital Sets 33-Year Fundraising Record
From left to right: Krystn Lake, Ashley Lake, Diane Gilligan, and Jessica Cronin. Photo provided.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Hospital’s 33rd annual Summer Gala netted a record more than $406,000 for Saratoga Community Health Center – thanks to an additional donation of $25,000 from Boston Futures Group (BFG). A major sponsor of the gala, the company made a second gift after the event, when BFG Director Diane E. Gilligan and Director of Corporate Giving Ashley M. Lake learned that the additional funds would break the previous record of $405,000, set in 2012. “We welcome the opportunity to have a greater impact,” Gilligan said. “By helping Saratoga Hospital set a new record, we’re focusing some much-deserved attention on the important work of the Saratoga
Community Health Center. We’re also raising the bar for next year – encouraging and challenging an already generous community to think even bigger.” Saratoga Community Health Center provides primary care, dental and behavioral health services for residents of Saratoga County regardless of their ability to pay. The center is the only facility of its kind in the Greater Saratoga region. “BFG’s commitment to Saratoga Hospital is extraordinary and extends well beyond financial support,” said Rachel Wheatley, Manager of Institutional Advancement for Saratoga Hospital Foundation. “They go out of their way to learn about every program and event they sponsor, reaching out to those involved.”
This year, BFG sponsored Saratoga Hospital’s three signature events: the Cantina Kids Fun Run, Golf Invitational and Summer Gala. At the Cantina Kids Fun Run, Gilligan and Lake were at the finish line, congratulating the runners. For the Summer Gala, they donated BFG’s table to Saratoga Community Health Center and ICU staff so they could enjoy the event.
Mindy Wormuth. She then pocketed the proceeds without reporting the contributions to the committee’s treasurer, or on the Financial Disclosure Reports that were filed with the State Board of Elections. The felony complaint relied, in part, on statements that Wormuth made to the FBI, including an admission that she cashed and spent certain checks made payable to her campaign. In one FBI interview, Wormuth attributed some of her actions to her bitterness at not receiving her political party’s endorsement for reelection in November 2013. Since 2007, Wormuth served as the Supervisor of the Town of Halfmoon in Saratoga County. In that capacity, she headed the Halfmoon Town Board and served as the town’s representative on the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors. The case was handled by former Senior Assistant Attorney General Darren Miller and Assistant Attorney General Bridget Holohan
Scally of the Public Integrity Bureau. The Public Integrity Bureau is led by Bureau Chief Daniel Cort and Deputy Bureau Chief Stacy Aronowitz. The investigation was conducted by Investigator Mitch Paurowski of the Investigations Bureau with assistance from Associate Forensic Auditor Jason W. Blair of the Forensic Audit Unit. The Forensic Audit Unit is led by Edward Keegan. The Investigations Bureau is led by Bureau Chief Dominick Zarrella and Deputy Bureau Chief Antoine Karam. The Criminal Division is led by Executive Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Justice Kelly Donovan. The case was investigated by the Office of the New York State Comptroller’s Division of Investigations. The Attorney General and State Comptroller extended their gratitude to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York for their assistance.