Walter Charges Civics With Political Meddling, Warns Their 'Fate is Sealed'

Following back-and-forth Republican and Democratic campaign mailers targeted at Wading River voters, Supervisor Sean Walter told a civic leader over the weekend that his organization's "fate had been sealed," charging the individual and entire organization with funding the Democratic mailers under the guise of the Riverhead Democratic Committee in an attempt to unseat him, and promising to push for an attorney general investigation of the matter, should he be re-elected.

Walter said the mailer was a "political hit piece," though Dick Amper — whom Walter says is behind the fliers — denied any political involvement. Amper, the executive director of the Pine Barrens Society, who has worked closely with the , , which Walter has opposed.

The mailer — which quotes a fictitious newspaper, the "Wading River Press," — includes a statement that it was "paid for by the Riverhead Democratic Committee." The mailer also cites a "fake quote," according to Walter's campaign manager which says, "Sean Walter to Wading River: 'Drop Dead.'"

Walter confirmed in an interview Monday that he did leave the voice message, which said the following:

Look, do me a favor and save this message and repeat it and play it back. You better hope that Phil Cardinale wins because you’ve sealed your fate, you and Dominique Mendez [president and co-founder of the RNPC] have sealed your fate. You guys are no better than ACORN, you’re a political machine. I don’t give a crap what you think, that people aren’t gonna know you did this. Good luck with it Dick. I hope for your sake Cardinale wins.

Walter claimed that both Amper and Democratic candidate for Town Council, Matthew Van Glad, had told Walter's political advisor Anthony Coates that they were "going to do a political hit piece" against Walter. Coates denied that such a thing was said.

"All the things Dick Amper was saying to my campaign staffer happened to be in this piece," Walter said. Walter said that the "fate" he mentioned in the message would be that he would treat the RNPC as a "political party" and would ask the attorney general to look into its funds for alleged political activism as a non-profit.

But Amper said the alleged conversation between him and Tony Coates never happened. 

"That's entirely not true," Amper said. "I explicitly told them all that it was up to the campaigns to decide what their positions were on this issue [of development in Wading River]."

Amper said that he was approached by a graphic artist who was working on the mailing and was asked where Walter and Cardinale stood on the issue of development, but asserted that he was not involved with the flyer's funding, production or mailing.

Vinny Vilella, chairman of the Riverhead Democratic Committee, said he was unsure if Amper had any involvement in the flyer. Phil Cardinale could not be reached for comment.

Amper also took issue with Walter's claim that his involvement in the RNPC was political. Amper, who also serves as chairman of the Long Island Environmental Voters Forum, said all three candidates for town supervisor were weak on environmental issues and that he doesn't think "Riverhead has a good choice."

"I don't think [Walter] understands that the RNPC is about an issue, not politics," Amper said. "This is partisan paranoia that has reached an unbelievable level. It's not about Sean Walter or Phil Cardinale, it's about the future of Wading River."

According to Coates, Amper may have "switched hats" between his involvement with the LIEVF — which did not endorse a candidate for Riverhead supervisor this year - and RNPC.

Dominique Mendez, who was cited in the voicemail message, denied Walter's claim that they were working for the Democratic party, saying the members of the group came from all political backgrounds.

Mendez said she was unsure how the RNPC would work with the town on issues of development after Walter's threat.

"It leaves you wondering where do you go from there, how do you work with this person? I don't know how you can," she said. "Are public officials allowed to take their biases and delusions and use them as a basis to make judgements in political office?"

Amper said that Walter had called him Monday morning to "express his anger that I shared the message he left."