CHESTER – The Orange County Republican Committee has asked Brian Youmans to drop out of the Chester Town Board race in light of his arrest for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) last week, which came three months after he was busted on felony gun charges.
Youmans, 33, has also been dismissed as Vice Chairman of the Orange County Young Republicans and is no longer affiliated with the organization.
“I have requested that he declines the nomination and step back from all his roles in the Republican party,” said Courtney Canfield Greene, chairwoman of the Orange County Republican Committee. “It is important that Brian gets his personal affairs in order.”
Youmans could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. Sources told Mid-Hudson News that Youmans has checked into a rehabilitation facility. His attorney, Paul Brite, did not return messages seeking comment for this story.
Youmans has until 5 p.m. on Friday to sign a notarized document to remove himself from the ballot or he will remain a candidate. He is running a Republican primary against Town of Chester Councilman Bob Courtenay, who has been cross endorsed by the Democrats. If Youmans is removed, the Republican Committee would have to file a certificate of substitution with a replacement candidate by Tuesday.
“Brian Youmans should resign immediately based on very concerning DWI, gun related, and fraudulent business document charges he is currently facing,” Courtenay said. “Although he is innocent until proven guilty, Chester voters deserve better than this sort of potential liability and negative attention for our town. I have been delivering real results for our town over the past six years.”
According to court records, Youmans was arrested for DWI on Friday in Chester. This comes after his arrest in January on attempted criminal possession of a weapon, criminal purchase of a weapon and falsifying business records in the Town of Wallkill. All three offenses are felonies but were reduced to misdemeanors in March.
Youmans is set to appear before Town of Wallkill Justice Peter Green’s court next week. Youmans was arrested this January after he allegedly lied on an application to obtain a rifle last November at a gun show at the Orange County Fairgrounds in the Town of Wallkill.
Court records show that Youmans was previously charged in March of 2014 with felony of possession and sale of a controlled substance and misdemeanor driving impaired by drugs in 2020. Youmans failed to disclose his probationary sentences for either arrest on his application to purchase the shotgun at the gun show in the Town of Wallkill.
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