A mailer sent from the state Democratic Party blasting Republican House candidate Maggie Brooks is inaccurate, the Fair Election Practices Committee determined in a ruling sent out this morning.

The mailer, which mirrors much of the claims made by Brooks’ Democratic opponent Rep. Louise Slaughter, claims that scandals related to the Republican’s county executive administration cost taxpayers $423 million.

Those scandals include problems with the Local Development Corporation and the Water Authority, but the fair practices committee says the claims are broadly overblown.

Democrats have sought to cast Brooks as part of a myriad scandals and corruption issues in Monroe County — claims that she has strongly pushed back on as inaccurate.

The claim that “Maggie Brooks Scandals Cost Taxpayers over $423 Million” is erroneous and violates the pledge as the calculation is overblown or outright false. At a minimum, the cost of $383 in scandal to taxpayers relating to Local Development Corporations and $38 million related to Budget Mismanagement is false and misleading. While Local Development Corporations have been scrutinized, there is no basis in fact that they will cost taxpayers $383 million related to scandal. The same applied to the unfounded $38 million in cost of scandal to taxpayers related to “Budget Mismanagement” claimed by the mailing.

Brooks v. Slaughter2

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