Anthony Constantino, a Republican candidate for the House seat being vacated by Rep. Elise Stefanik, says he hired paid petitioners to gather ballot signatures and later discovered one contractor, Christopher Bernstein, has a prior forgery conviction and a 2014 arrest for allegedly forging petition signatures. A video shows Bernstein collecting signatures while claiming to represent the Republican Party. Constantino says he fired Bernstein and has set those petitions aside for legal review.
GOP Candidate Says He Hired Petitioners — One Had Past Forgery Convictions, Video Shows Him Collecting Signatures
Anthony Constantino, a Republican running to succeed Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), says he contracted paid canvassers to gather ballot petition signatures — and that one of those contractors has a criminal forgery history, according to a report by Politico.
What Politico Reported
Constantino, the owner of Sticker Mule, told Politico’s New York Playbook PM that because the local GOP did not endorse him over Assemblyman Robert Smullen, he "had to enlist paid canvassers to circulate petitions door-to-door to get him on the ballot." He said he uses a paid "petition manager" who hires signature gatherers.
The Contested Contract Worker
Politico identified one signature gatherer as Christopher Bernstein. Bernstein was arrested in 2014 on allegations that he forged signatures on another candidate’s ballot petition. In 2012, Bernstein pleaded guilty to "possession of a forged instrument" in a case involving a counterfeit drug prescription.
A video reviewed by Playbook shows Bernstein collecting signatures in Fort Edward, Washington County, for Constantino without naming the candidate, and telling residents he was door-knocking "on behalf of the Republican Party." The Washington County GOP had unanimously endorsed Robert Smullen over Constantino.
Candidate Response
Constantino told Playbook he did not personally know Bernstein and that he fired the contractor after learning of his background. In a written statement, Constantino said: "We were not aware of this person’s background and have decided to terminate them effective immediately. All petitions they acquired have been set aside and will be reviewed by my legal team. Thank you for bringing this to my attention."
Context
Stefanik announced in December that she would withdraw from the New York gubernatorial race and will not seek re-election to her House seat. She said devoting time and resources to a primary in New York would be counterproductive. President Donald Trump had at one point selected Stefanik to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations but later withdrew the nomination, citing considerations about the House majority.
What’s next: Constantino’s campaign lawyers will review the petitions Bernstein collected; any legal or election-board actions would depend on the outcome of that review.
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