By now you’ve no doubt read or heard something about the tragicomic misfortunes of the Joel Tyner campaign for Congress, NY-19. You may have heard that his former campaign treasurer, Misha Fredericks, quit in very public fashion, claiming that he was mishandling campaign funds. Tyner “fired” her the next day, after her resignation, and after having sent the following bizarre email to defend himself to his supporters against the treasurer’s charges (the email is reproduced here from the Times-Union‘s “Capitol Confidential” blog). It is, as Daily Kos observes, “some serious insanity”. I’ll offer Tyner’s email without comment, except for this one highlight:

Fact: I have not been able to pay my mother any rent since last August– because I have poured every single penny of my own financial resources into this campaign.

That, as someone succinctly commented on the Capitol Confidential blog, is priceless.

Here is the complete Tyner email. Read it and weep (or laugh, if that’s your inclination).

Hi all…

Join us if you can for a press conference I’ll be holding tomorrow (Weds.) at 10:30 am in front of Rhinebeck Town Hall at 80 East Market Street there– to hold my former campaign treasurer Misha Fredericks accountable for the lies she sent out earlier in letters to the editor to the Times Herald-Record, Ulster Publishing (Kingston/Woodstock/New Paltz Times), and my core supporters…
[I already received phone calls on this from two reporters earlier today-- disgusting]

Blatant attempt at political sabotage; funny little thing about the truth though– has a way of getting out…

[read facts below, fwd widely to all you know...and incorporate 'em in to your own letters to editor asap!]

Figure it out folks– if Fredericks had truly been a supporter to begin with– would this be happening?…

[sadly, Schreibman/GOP/Fredericks becoming increasingly desperate; they know we can win, folks;
note-- see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation -- attention Ms. Fredericks-- if you and/or your ilk continue with your lies I will work with my legal team to address this-- be forewarned-- word to wise, k?]

Nice try tho, Fredericks– but GOP beat you to it in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 with last-minute garbage attacks…..note– it didn’t work for Republicans then and it’s not going to work for the likes of you now…

Thirteen facts here in response to Fredericks lies sent out across the Hudson Valley today– shameful:

Fact: Fredericks recently (un-asked for) sent me an almost-naked photo of herself– no lie (why?).

Fact: Fredericks’ sexual harassment continued at River Station fundraiser: requests: “sex on the beach.”

Fact: Fredericks was unsuccessful in her pitiful and pathetic attempt to lure me into sexual harassment.

Fact: Fredericks actually also recently asked me for my email password (why?…put 2 and 2 together).

Fact: Fredericks mixed in receipts from others (in front of me) with receipts I provided her with. Period.

Fact: Fredericks knowingly under-reported my campaign expenses on gasoline to make me look bad.

Fact: All this past summer, fall, and winter I repeatedly drove out to Lake Placid, Glens Falls, and Saratoga Springs (and Albany/Rensselaer area)– and out to Cooperstown/Delhi area– campaigning for Congress all over what then was the 20th Congressional district– burning up gas, killing my car.

Fact: On multiple occasions over past year of campaign I beg for gas money to get back home.

Fact: My car was almost repossessed in late June because my monthly payment came weeks late.

Fact: I have not been able to pay my mother any rent since last August– because I have poured every single penny of my own financial resources into this campaign.

Fact: Despite my telling Fredericks I did not want this, Fredericks gave two campaign volunteers $500 in cash last week for outreach in Sullivan County– far more than what I as the candidate wanted allotted.

[recall Fredericks misinformation on this-- "I have been informed by others working as volunteers on the campaign that they had given Mr. Tyner over $600 in receipts to be given to me. I never received them and therefore was unable to report those expenditures to the FEC though cash was given to volunteers by Mr. Tyner to reimburse them".......fact is that those two volunteers still need to ante up with receipts(!)]

Fact: The campaign cannot afford $700/week for food/lodging etc. for two volunteers in Sullivan County.

Fredericks further attacks me, writing– “To help me account for his expenditures, I had the bank issue him a debit/credit card.”

Fact: I’ve used the debit/credit card extensively– and kept and provided Fredericks with receipts.

Fredericks writes that she “set up an EZ Pass account for him [me]. He verbally told me he was using the EZPass. However, each time I checked his EZ Pass account online, no transactions were on his account other than the original $25 fee for setting up the EZ Pass account.”

This is beyond ridiculous– I have successfully been using the EZ Pass I received for weeks now.