NY-21: Doheny camp reacts to “hit piece” against GOP challenger

A spokesman for Matt Doheny issued a statement Wednesday evening blasting a “hit” piece against the Republican candidate that appeared on the national Gawker website.

Gawker published grainy photographs, which the site claims show the Republican “in the arms of campaign consultant Monica Notzon” during a trip to Washington DC

Doheny is unmarried, but is currently engaged.  His spokesman Jude Seymour issued a statement saying that the pictures “demonstrate nothing more than two old friends joking around as they sat with other friends.”

Seymour claimed that the photographs were taken by a “Democratic operative” and provided to Gawker.  The campaign also released a statement from Doheny’s fiance in which she says she is “deeply saddened” by the article.

Doheny is challenging Democrat Bill Owens in the newly formed 21st congressional district.  The rematch between the Watertown Republican and the Plattsburgh Democrat is likely to be one of the most closely watched races in the country.

This flare-up could well be the first salvo in a long, ugly campaign.


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31 Comments on “NY-21: Doheny camp reacts to “hit piece” against GOP challenger”

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  1. Anita says:

    This confirms that once again our region’s congressional race will be one that garners national attention. Lots of money, lots of ads, lots of “news”.

  2. dave says:

    The only time I care about a politician’s personal/sex life is when they are preaching and legislating one thing… while living another.

    Spouting off about family values while divorcing sick wives, opposing gay rights while sexting male interns… that type of hypocrisy is hard for me to stomach.

    Does this reach that threshold?

    I haven’t paid much attention to Doheny, so I am not sure if he has been one of these preachy family value republicans.

    But I do know he is strongly against marriage equality… and, if nothing else, acting like this 3 months before his own wedding makes me question if he should really be telling us who can and can’t be married.

  3. Gary says:

    I’m glad to see you used the word “first”. Now if Doheny responds should he be criticized like you did to Romney!

  4. JDM says:

    For a Dem, this would be a resume enhancement. #weiner #spitzer

  5. knuckleheadedliberal says:

    These are not the droids we are looking for. Move along.

  6. Walker says:

    Gary, maybe I’m being dense here, but I fail to see the significance of the word “first”. Nor do I understand the sentence “Now if Doheny responds should he be criticized like you did to Romney!”

    Say what?

  7. TomL says:

    Well, I’ll admit it – I glanced at the photos and hmmm, if it were me & an ‘old friend’, my wife would be much less than thrilled. Nevertheless, this kind of papparazi journalism doesn’t interest me (except maybe in an ashamed rubbernecking at an accident way) except that, as Amita posted, it indicates that this will be a hard-fought campaign.

    Much more interesting and ‘In Box’ worthy is the indications that Doheny is running away from Paul Ryan’s budget blueprint. It seems that he can read the ‘tea leaves’ that the kinds of draconian cuts w/o revenue increases that Paul Ryan proposes are anathema to voters, including those in the moderately-conservative North Country. He is being foxy – he doesn’t state whether his concerns with Ryan’s plan are that it goes too far, or doesn’t go far enough. He is sticking his wetted finger up to see which way the wind blows.

  8. Pete Klein says:

    While I have no intention of voting for Doheny, I think this so called story is a cheap shot which says a lot about phony American values.
    I have been married since 1968 and have maintained a friendship with a woman I first met in 1964. I have always regarded her as a best friend. We live in different cities but usually manage to meet for dinner or lunch at least once or twice a year when we and my wife visit my wife’s family in the city where my old friend lives.
    When we part, we always give each other a hug.
    Guess it’s a darn good thing I’m not running for office or someone with phony morality would try to dirty up something that has always been pure and above board.

  9. Walker says:

    Pete, must be you didn’t look at the pictures. A hug is different. Not that I would vote for Doheny even if he were Dudley Do-Right in his personal life. But if I were his fiance, I’d be having second thoughts, sleazy journalism or no. And as a voter leaning his way, I’d be starting to wonder about his judgement.

  10. Two Cents says:

    For once i’d like to see (any) candidates:

    1- controll their hormones for christ sake
    2- attempt to win an election on their own merrits, not on what they dig up on the other guy.

    This recent scenario turns me off to both lackeys. Who’s the third choice?

  11. mervel says:

    I agree with two cents.

    But whatever the guy is not married, way to much info here next we are going to have to worry about his girlfriend(s).

    I mean a non married guy flirting around is a big deal today? We live in a bizarre society where THIS is a big deal? I mean sure maybe in the 1950’s it would be big deal, but today this is nothing.

    I mean sure if they were snorting coke and having a threesome okay that might be kind of shocking, but even that would not be that big of a deal given our culture. We have these puritanical standards in the midst of living in Sodom and Gomorrah, it makes no sense.

  12. mark wilson says:

    The part people are missing from the Gawker post is that DOHeny was down in DC attending “Candidate School.” Like former Rep Chris Lee last year, I think Matt was caught cutting “Discretion 101.”

  13. mervel says:

    I think its creepy, the name gawker is creepy itself; sitting around spying on our neighbors.

  14. Peter Hahn says:

    I just looked at the photos – pretty good ones. Its probably noisy and she is probably talking into his ear. But it sure looks like they are necking in one of them. If Doheny wants to be a congressman, he better get used to this stuff.

  15. eyes wide open says:

    Amazing that no mention is made by article of the fact that Mr Doheny still faces a primary challenge on June 26. But then again nCPR is aligned closely enough with mainstream media to make sure that the party elites picks get the only coverage. For those of you that havent heard Kellie Greene of Sackets Harbor is collecting Ballot petition signatures

  16. PNElba says:

    Sure doesn’t look like a friendly peck on the lips.

  17. Peter Hahn says:

    Im willing to bet that if the photos were taken from a slightly different angle they would look much more innocent, but then they wouldn’t be publishing them. No one is commenting on where her hands look like they are. This is all in a very public place and very unlikely to be what it looks like. But great photos. No need for photoshop.

  18. wakeup says:

    Way to stoop to the tabloid jornalist level Brian. Shame on you

  19. Walker says:

    “probably talking into his ear.”

    Peter, from the photo at lower right where she clearly is talking in his ear, it appears that the lighting would show you whether there was any space between the two of them. The photos at upper right and far left look to me like a different camera angle wouldn’t change appearances a bit.

  20. Walker says:

    Try again…

    “probably talking into his ear.”

    Peter, from the photo at lower right where she clearly is talking in his ear, it appears that the lighting would show you whether there was any space between the two of them. The photos at upper right and far left look to me like a different camera angle wouldn’t change appearances a bit.

  21. Paul says:

    Walker, you must have something better to do with your time than analyze these photos?

    But for sure they are WAY into each others personal space no matter what the angle! Busted!

    The bigger question is Who would kiss this guy?

  22. Walker says:

    Paul, I’m retired. Besides, this is something you can tell at a glance.

  23. Kathy says:

    The only time I care about a politician’s personal/sex life is when they are preaching and legislating one thing… while living another.

    The only time I care about a politician’s personal sex life is never.

    I think given the sexually charged culture we live in where practically anything is acceptable, that nailing anyone like this is hypocritical.

  24. dave says:

    Kathy, you are really not interested in knowing if a politician is living up the standards that he or she is asking us to live by – indeed, in some cases, even forcing us to live by via law?

  25. Kathy says:

    Does catching a hypocrite in his sexual vices make the one who also has sexual vices think he/she is somehow better?

    He who is without sin cast the first stone.

  26. Walker says:

    Kathy, you’re kinda missing the hypocrite part. If I have vices, but don’t pretend to be anything special that’s a different matter than someone who preaches virtue but has secret vices. Elliot Spitzer might be an example you can relate to.

    I’m not saying Doheny is anything like that. This seems more to raise issues about his judgement. And not real big issues either… just minor doubt.

  27. Paul says:

    “Paul, I’m retired. Besides, this is something you can tell at a glance.”

    I was just busting on you, I agree with you. Like I said BUSTED!

  28. Kathy says:

    Dave, hypocrisy leaves a bad taste in all of our mouths.

    When the hypocrisy is sexual in nature, the politician is crucified. Yet, we live with other hypocrisies.

    I guess getting caught in a sexual scandal is just more sensational for the human palate. A politician who tells the country we all have to tighten our belt and doesn’t tighten his, or preaches about carbon footprints and owns an SUV and a jet… doesn’t make a great story.

  29. Kathy says:

    Walker, I get what you’re saying.

    I just find it interesting how a politician’s career is done when caught in a sexual scandal – when our culture sits at its altar daily.

  30. knuckleheadedliberal says:

    Why don’t we just move the seat of government to Vegas or better yet Bourbon Street? Then it’s all good.

  31. If Clapton is God, Warren Haynes is Jesus says:

    I’m not a supporter of Doheny, but I care not at all who he happens to be sleeping with, engaged or otherwise. One problem with American politics is our obsession over who’s sleeping with who and what substances they choose to imbibe in. Instead of devoting our time to real issues, we concentrate on such trivial matters. Now, if Doheny has espoused some sort of “family values” platform previous to this “incident” then I suppose that makes him a hypocrite. Maybe I missed it, but I haven’t heard this oft used right wing talking point come out of his mouth as yet.

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