Kenneth Del Vecchio (R–Warwick) is joining Republican rival Phil Oliva (R/C/REF-Somers) in asking Democratic opponent Sean Patrick Maloney (D-Cold Springs) to hand over any footage that a tracker hired by his party may have taken of them or their families.
Oliva first complained of the tracker on June 20 saying he came to Oliva’s house and scared his wife as she looked out their kitchen window. Oliva called the police, and if the tracker were to be found near his house again, Oliva said he would be arrested.
The tracker, named Yougourthen Ayouni, has since been fired by the New York Democratic Party, which hired him.
Oliva said he was promised the unedited footage on June 21, but as of June 28 had not received it. A spokesperson for the Democratic Party said June 28 it would be coming in the mail and that he had confirmed with Oliva the day before that he would send it.
While Del Vecchio never saw Ayouni near his house, he came to the Hoboken International Film Festival (HIFF), which Del Vecchio chairs, and asked him questions on issues like abortion and Planned Parenthood.
“I had no idea who he was at the time,” Del Vecchio said. “[But] it was clear to me he was not a member of the ordinary press.”
Del Vecchio admits he does not know if there was any footage taken of him or his family, but is asking Maloney to hand over any if there is.
He said he sent an email and a faxed request to Maloney on June 23 and has yet to receive a response.
A spokesperson for the Democratic Party said he had never heard of Del Vecchio and that there was no footage taken of him or his family.
Del Vecchio is also asking for an apology from Maloney, who did say his Party was right to fire Ayouni and apologized to Oliva for what he did.
While Maloney condemned the tracker’s behavior, he has not taken any responsibility for him, and his spokesperson has consistently deferred questions on the issue to the New York Democratic Party.
“I find it wholly unbelievable that Sean Patrick Maloney didn’t know that this guy was working for him,” said Del Vecchio.“I find it unbelievable that neither he nor higher-level staff members weren’t in receipt of whatever was recorded.”
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