The 2019 District Attorney’s race in Onondaga County features three major candidates for the first time in decades. Republican DA William Fitzpatrick faces both democratic opponent Charles Keller and Republican Gary Lavine.

In recent months, Fitzpatrick has been embroiled in multiple scandals and has been accused by his opponents of abusing the power of his office for political gain. He has lost the trust of the community that is essential to effectively lead, especially in law enforcement. Now, nearing 30 years as Onondaga County District Attorney, it is time for Fitzpatrick to be voted out of office.

Lavine, a local lawyer and Syracuse University graduate, is running against Fitzpatrick with the explicit purpose to remove him from office. Lavine is a lifelong Republican just like Fitzpatrick, but he has cited a number of instances where he claims Fitzpatrick has used his office to cover-up the crimes of an aide and remove a deputy police chief who feuded with him.

“I was a strong supporter of the District Attorney and a contributor to his campaign,” Lavine told The Daily Orange. “The abuses of the office became so visible, so overt … that something had to be done within the Republican party to challenge him.”

Keller, the Democratic nominee, is focusing his attention on the issues he’d be faced with if elected to the position, specifically “breaking the inadequacy of the current justice system,” according to his website.

Without naming his opponent, Keller vows to remedy “corruption, lousy policy and a level of arrogance that has deteriorated the respect once held by the office of District Attorney.”

While some of the statements by both Keller and Lavine are classic election year hyperbole, Fitzpatrick’s record of service as DA since 1992 has come with a number of blemishes.

In 2015, Syracuse Police pulled out of a state drug task force after Fitzpatrick placed Peter Rauch, a part-time police officer and a close aide, on the force. The department “became concerned about the professional qualifications of a member added to the task force,” then-Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler said in a statement to Syracuse.com.

That same aide was convicted of a hit-and-run in 2017 while drunk. Lavine has accused Fitzpatrick of covering up Rauch’s conviction and investigating and later firing Deputy Police Chief Shawn Broton for criticizing his actions. Broton claims his removal was a politically motivated move by Fitzpatrick, and the claim has been investigated by the Onondaga County Ethics Board.

“[Fitzpatrick has] weaponized the office, settling several personal scores and to gin-up bogus criminal investigations against his political opponents. And the only offense of his political opponents is not criminal — it’s they disagreed with him,” Lavine said.

Fitzpatrick has also stated that he will collect a pension in addition to his salary if elected, after being denied it earlier this year. Fitzpatrick, now 66, is allowed to do so under state law, though few officials have. This practice has been viewed by some as “double-dipping,” though Fitzpatrick cites the financial stability of his family as his motive.

“Prosecutorial abuse is corrosive. It fundamentally subverts the entire criminal justice system. All other reforms spoke out of the hub of integrity,” Lavine said.

Fitzpatrick has been called out for more than just his involvement in alleged scandals, though. Keller’s campaign website states that he “understands that zealously pursuing serious punishment for minor infractions can foster resentment without addressing the true threats to our community.”

Both Keller and Lavine have emphasized ethics and integrity as key campaign points. The fact that promises of ethical behavior by candidates are even strong arguments against an incumbent shows how fragile trust in the current DA’s office is.

“Now the office is feared, not respected,” Lavine said. “When integrity is restored, the office will be respected, not feared.”

A lot has changed since Fitzpatrick first took office in 1992 when the internet was in its infancy and police were less frequently held accountable by the public for their actions. Change is needed at the DA’s office, and William Fitzpatrick won’t be the one to bring it. He should be voted out of office this November, not only due to the numerous scandals he has found himself in, but for the policy changes needed to make Onondaga County a better and safer place to live for all of its residents.

Nick Robertson is a freshman news and online journalism and policy studies major. His column appears bi-weekly. He can be reached at njrobert@syr.edu. He can be followed on Twitter at @NickRobertsonSU.

Published on November 4, 2019 at 3:54 am

Contact Nick: nickrobertson@dailyorange.com | @NickRobertsonSU