Sexual harassment claims define Burke-Pryor race

Republican Mark D. Pryor launched a political ad reviving claims by former staffers of Assemblyman Patrick B. Burke that the Orchard Park Democrat made inappropriate remarks in his office. Pryor argues that the charges are fair game and it is important that voters understand Burke’s true character.

Burke said the Assembly Ethics Committee investigated the claims and concluded they were unfounded. He denied any of the allegations attributed to him and said his re-election bid is focused on talking about what he has accomplished in office.

The 142nd District covers South Buffalo and the townships of Lovejoy and Fillmore, as well as Lackawanna, West Seneca and Orchard Park.

Democrats make up 47% of registered voters in the district, far exceeding the 23% registered as Republicans.

Burke, a 40-year-old South Buffalo native, was a community activist before serving five years in the Erie County Legislature and then winning election to the Assembly in 2018.

He won re-election in 2022 by a 53% to 47% margin over Republican Sandra Magnano of West Seneca after candidates spent a total of $250,000 on the race.

Burke started the year with no money in his campaign account, but he has a fundraising advantage in the race, raising $75,544 compared to the $40,376 raised by Priore, 2024 financial disclosure reports show.

Pryor’s plan to overcome the Democratic Party’s advantage in the district relies heavily on reminding voters of the allegations against Burke.

They go back to Burke’s decision to fire three staffers in May 2022 for what he called “gross insubordination” in a disagreement over whether the Assembly member had spoken out enough against white supremacy in the days following the May 14 racist massacre on Jefferson Avenue. Tops Markets store.

Eleven months later, one of the former employees, former Legislative Director Nicole Golias, filed a complaint with the state Division of Human Rights accusing Burke of making offensive remarks in the workplace. Burke’s former communications director, Matthew Dearing, joined Golias in a lawsuit against Burke that repeated his concerns.

Their allegations include that Burke made frequent and open comments about women’s bodies, including the desirability of his teenage son’s romantic partners; discussed and assessed his level of comfort when having sex with people with various disabilities; and ridiculed a fellow Assembly member who said she was sexually abused as a child.

Burke repeatedly denied making such comments in an interview this week. He is not accused of sexually harassing any of his employees.

The Assembly Ethics Committee, made up of equal parts Democrats and Republicans, investigated and found no evidence of wrongdoing, Burke said.

However, the Human Rights Division found “probable cause” to hold a public hearing on Golias’ allegations and, in addition, joined the Assembly to the complaint. The Assembly’s lawyers tried to block public hearings and remove the Assembly from considering the complaint.

“They don’t want the truth to come out,” said Pryor, 51, a West Seneca resident and administrative lieutenant for the Erie County Sheriff’s Office. “And in my opinion, we’re not throwing mud at the wall here and seeing what sticks; We’re looking at a situation where, if you had nothing to hide, you wouldn’t sue the Human Rights Division. have no right to conduct an investigation.”

Pryor said the charges show Burke is unfit to continue to hold office. The accusation that Burke abused an Assembly member was especially painful because Pryor said he was also abused as a child.

Burke said constituents aren’t worried about complaints when they talk to him.

“I ran an honest and good campaign based on the issues, what I’ve done and what I’m going to do for my constituents,” Burke said. “And my opponent ran probably the worst race I’ve ever seen.”

Burke said the number one issue he hears from voters is fear about the economy.

Burke said he proposed a “Fair Deal” for the middle class – a reference to Theodore Roosevelt’s “Fair Deal” and Franklin Roosevelt’s “Fair Deal” – which, for example, would create a $200 million government fund that would offer loans to people living paycheck to paycheck for new windows or other home improvements at zero interest.

“If something happens to their house, they won’t be able to fix it,” Burke said. “These people are angry, and they should be, and their government should do something for them.”

He said there was a level of “racism and ugliness” in Republican criticism of government aid for migrants, and that the party had blocked efforts in Congress to reach a bipartisan solution to the federal problem.

Burke said people have legitimate concerns, but New York can’t ignore the problem.

“If you don’t spend any money on it at all, you’re going to have a bigger problem. You will have people who are legally allowed to live in this country and they have nowhere to go. For example, if they are here. , do you want them posted?” Burke said, adding that the state is constitutionally obligated to provide education to all children.

His opponent, Pryor, worked as a desk officer in a Buffalo police cell block before joining the sheriff’s jail management department as a corrections officer in the late 1990s. He moved into an administrative position and also worked as a union official.

Pryor said he decided to run for office after seeing a Buffalo News article last December that identified two Republicans who were interested in challenging Burke in 2024. He defeated two other challengers to secure Republican and conservative support in the election.

Pryor said the state’s tax burden is already too high and Albany should not be spending $2.4 billion annually to care for asylum seekers in the state when that money could be going to help veterans, the homeless, the middle and working classes.

He also criticized Burke for supporting bail reform when it was initially passed and for not doing enough to address complaints from police and prosecutors about its implementation. Burke said there is a need to reform the state’s bail system, but he is pushing for changes to the original law in response to those concerns.

“These are the concerns I hear when I’m in the district,” Pryor said. “They don’t feel safe. They don’t feel like they’re getting a fair shake when it comes to keeping our tax dollars at home.”

Burke, for his part, said he is an independent voice in the state Legislature and can still use his position as a member of the Democratic majority to benefit his district.

“Our community will lose a ton of resources and representation if I am not returned to Albany,” said Burke, who chairs the Assembly’s Great Lakes Watershed Task Force.

Burke is too committed to liberal interests in the state Capitol, said Pryor, who insists he can work effectively with members of all parties.

“I’m not saying any single member of the Legislature is going to change all of this,” Pryor said. “But I do know that you are either part of the solution or part of the problem.”