NEW CITY ‒ Rockland Republican Party Chairman Lawrence Garvey has put Clarkstown officials on notice — including past political allies — of his potential lawsuit accusing them of corruption involving a campaign debt payment.
Garvey's legal threat comes as he fights for his political survival as chair of the Republican Party and is involved in several lawsuits, some involving Republican Party members.
Garvey's notice claims Clarkstown officials retaliated against him for attempting to block what he called an illegal $60,000 corporate donation through the state Republican Party to potentially cover Supervisor George Hoehmann's debt from his 2023 re-election campaign. Garvey filed his notice of claim on Sept. 20 with the town, which is required when considering a civil lawsuit against a government agency.
In addition to Hoehmann, the claim names Town Attorney Kevin Conway, Finance Director Colin Schmitt, and the Town Board. Garvey also names Rep. Michael Lawler, R-Pearl River, saying he was asked to get involved to get the donation approved to Hoehmann's campaign, which Lawler did not do.
Notifying a municipality about a potential lawsuit is required by law. The notice of claim indicates Garvey's intention to file a lawsuit with more details.
Clarkstown lawyer calls Garvey's accusations 'outright lies'
Clarkstown officials deny Garvey's accusations. The town hired attorney Michael Burke, who called Garvey's claims baseless lies. Hoehmann cited Burke's comment as the town's response to Garvey's notice of claim.
"The Town of Clarkstown is in receipt of Mr. Garvey’s filing, which is full of baseless claims, gross misstatements of fact, and outright lies, and is clearly a desperate attempt to preserve his chairmanship of the Rockland County Republican Committee," Burke said in a statement on Wednesday.
"The Town vehemently denies all allegations and assertions made in Mr. Garvey’s rambling and unfounded missive and will pursue every available avenue to combat Mr. Garvey’s abuse of the legal process and seek appropriate relief," Burke said.
Schmitt, the town finance director and former Assembly member, was aware of the donation, according to the notice of claim.
Garvey seeks $2M for defamation, distress, violation of civil rights
Garvey's notice of claim says he is seeking $2 million in compensatory damages for defamation, defamation per se (harmful to Garvey's reputation), intentional infliction of emotional distress, and violation of his civil rights under federal law. He claims he was disparaged and retaliated against as officials implied he'd lose his contracted legal work with Clarkstown.
According to the notice of claim, Garvey says Hoehmann gave him a check for $60,000 in March for the local GOP committee from Travel Line Inc. of 110 Brenner Driver in Congers.
A $60,000 donation was filed on March 8 from Travel Line to the state GOP non-campaign housing-keeping fund, according to the state Board of Elections website on contributions. Garvey says he advised Hoehmann that the amount exceeded the legal donation limit from a corporation and he returned the check to Hoehmann. No donation of that amount could be found to have been transferred to Hoehmann's campaign account, according to the website.
Travel Line supposedly has the same address in Congers as Star Kay White Inc., a company that manufactures flavoring ingredients. Star Kay White is owned by the Katzenstein family, which owns several properties and businesses in Clarkstown. Garvey's notice claims Travel Line, Inc. is a shell company owned or partly owned by the Katzensteins.
The company could not be reached for comment.
Garvey also claims Hoehmann had instructed a town employee to express to certain members of the Clarkstown Planning Board that at least one of Katzenstein's projects was "important to the Supervisor" and asked for quick approval. Garvey also claims Conway threatened an unnamed Planning Board member over the member's objection to Hoehmann's strong-arm tactics.
Additionally, Garvey wrote that Conway intimated the work Garvey had been receiving from the town would be in jeopardy. Garvey runs a private law practice and is paid $81,000 as a part-time assistant attorney for Rockland Green, which runs the county's waste management programs and animal shelter.
Garvey claims Lawler contacted the New York State Republican Committee and directed it “not to send any money to George Hoehmann’s campaign account.” Lawler, a long-time Garvey confidante in Republican politics, is seeking a second, two-year term in Congress.
A spokesperson for Lawler did not respond to a request for comment.
According to the notice of claim, Lawler refused any further discussion on the matter, as the donation being offered was outside of the legal limits for the Republican Committee.
Garvey says Lawler read a letter to him in which Hoehmann disparaged the chairman and asked Republican officials to consider having Lawler replace Garvey as party chairman. Garvey concluded the letter was a veiled threat at keeping his job.
Past election controversies
This is not the first time Garvey and Hoehmann have been involved in a campaign controversies.
In 2018, a lawyer for the New York State Board of Elections recommended a criminal prosecution of Garvey over contributions that former Clarkstown police Sgt. Michael Garvey (not related) steered toward Hoehmann's campaign in the 2015 election for supervisor. Lawrence Garvey was accused of creating a shell company that donated $216,900 to the state Reform Party and the Rockland County Republican Committee, of which more than $137,000 was spent on Hoehmann. No prosecution occurred.
In 2022, state Supreme Court Justice Paul Marx issued a finding that Garvey, and then Justice Scott Ugell, committed fraud and deception by attempting to place Ugell on the ballot for supervisor. They denied the claims, though Ugell later resigned as a judge after three decades on the bench.
Rockland Legislator Will Kennelly also filed a lawsuit against Garvey for negligence over the sale of his restaurant in Congers.
Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com Twitter: @lohudlegal
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This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Rockland GOP Chair Lawrence Garvey threatens lawsuit over alleged Clarkstown corruption
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