CARMEL- The Putnam County Executive’s race has grown increasingly bitter, with sharp attacks exchanged between incumbent Kevin Byrne and Democratic challenger Brett Yarris.
The latest salvo centers on a campaign finance enforcement lawsuit filed in Putnam County Court by five Putnam voters, one from each party, Republican, Conservative, Democrat and Libertarian, asking a judge to rule that Byrne’s campaign accepted contributions above the legal limit because he did not have contested Republican or Conservative primaries.
The five claim the campaign received more than $19,000 above the applicable limits from 10 contributors and want the court to stop further allegedly excessive contributions and solicitation before Election Day.
Individual contributions ranged from $4,850 to $7,800.
The petitioners allege that under the state’s Election Law the maximum contribution that Byrne’s campaign may accept from a contributor for the general election is $3,639.80. Their argument is that Byrne did not face an actual Republican primary or Conservative primary, so he was not entitled to a separate primary-election contribution limit from contributors.
Petitioners are asking the court for several forms of relief before the November 3 election, including a declaration that the campaign violated Election Law, an injunction preventing it from accepting additional contributions above the alleged $3,639.80 limit; an injunction preventing further solicitation above that amount; and an order requiring the campaign to remove the allegedly improper contribution solicitation from its website.
A third person in the Putnam County Executive’s race is Conservative candidate Tatiana Ibrahim.
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