| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, August 23, 2022 |
GLENS FALLS, NY– Today, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik formally welcomed Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli from Poughkeepsie to the general election for New York’s 21st Congressional District.
Congresswoman Stefanik has a 10:1 cash-on-hand advantage and has been endorsed by hundreds of local Republican, Democrat, and Independent elected officials due to her record of delivering results.
After redistricting, New York’s 21st District became even more Republican with an even larger Trump margin.
Senior Advisor to Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, Alex DeGrasse, stated:
“Team Elise would like to formally welcome Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli from Poughkeepsie to the North Country and to the race. In recent days, Matt Castelli has been embroiled in controversy after several former colleagues from the National Security Council, including a current Biden administration official, confirmed that Castelli would drink heavily and engage in inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace while on the clock and often collected overtime pay while doing so.
In addition, Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli launched his campaign by disgracefully comparing January 6th to the terrorist attacks on 9/11 during the week of the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that claimed over 3,000 lives.
During Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli’s limited interactions with voters who refused to debate in a Democrat primary, North Country voters have already learned that he is nothing more than another radical Far-Left Downstate Democrat who fully supported Joe Biden and Lame Duck Speaker Pelosi’s historic tax hikes, backs an assault weapons ban, and thinks New Yorks’ bail reform “may be an effective solution.”
For these reasons, we are confident that NY-21 voters (which Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli became less than a month before launching his campaign) will soundly reject Castelli and re-elect Congresswoman Stefanik in another landslide victory this November so that she can continue her record of delivering real results for the North Country and Upstate New York’s hard-working families, small businesses, farms, veterans, and seniors.”
Meet Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli:
Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli chose party over country at the National Security Council:
Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli’s former colleagues at the National Safety Council, including a Biden administration official, have alleged that he drank alcohol on the clock and had sex with multiple colleagues in a White House office during his tenure on the NSC, according to the Daily Mail.
The Daily Mail reported that:
“Castelli knew no moderation when he worked for the White House – multiple former National Security Council colleagues say that Castelli was known to drink on the job, and often to collect overtime pay while doing so, and had sex with multiple of his coworkers.”
…
“The colleague, who now works under the Biden administration, said that staffers within the office were well aware of Castelli’s fetish. The New York candidate is alleged to have slept with at least three female colleagues, including one married woman. The three women did not respond to a request for comment.
‘It was open- there was no secret about it,’ the source said.
….
‘He told us all about the prayer room – that was his thing,’ one former colleague said of Castelli. The colleague said Castelli told one story where either during or after the NSC Christmas party in 2017 he took a female colleague back to the prayer room for sex. ‘There were a couple other times where he’d just sneak off during the day,’ to hook up with women, the colleague, who requested anonymity to speak freely, told DailyMail.com.
….
‘I can confirm that that’s something that puts across directorates across across the staff, the NSC that it’s something he would brag about to other colleagues and whether it was drinking on the job, hooking up with women, using misusing the prayer room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Those are all things that I heard discussed,’ the colleague said.
Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli Supports Raising Taxes On NY-21 Families During A Recession:
Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli supported Joe Biden and House Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act, which raised taxes on millions of Americans during a recession and economists found would do nothing to address America’s inflation crisis in the long term.
- In a July 28, 2022 statement, Castelli said he was “pleased” with the Inflation Reduction Act, and falsely stated it would “help fight inflation and lower costs for American families.”
- In a July 28, 2022 statement, Castelli falsely claimed that the Inflation Reduction Act ensured that “taxes are not raised on middle-class and working families.”
- Castelli has continued to double down on his false claim that the Inflation Reduction Act would reduce inflation.
- Castelli tweeted on August 5, 2022: “The Inflation Reduction Act deal will cut prescription drug costs for seniors, reduce inflation, and make historic investments in clean energy.”
- In an August 15, 2022, interview with The Morning Drive, Castelli was confronted about the fact that the Inflation Reduction Act does not reduce inflation. Castelli again doubled down, claiming the bill sounded “like a net win.”
- The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that the “Inflation Reduction Act” will have no impact on reducing inflation– economists with the Penn Wharton Budget Model also came to a similar conclusion.
- The CBO also found the “Inflation Reduction Act” will cost middle-class Americans and small businesses $20 Billion in new taxes.
- The New York Post reported that “an analysis by the CBO estimates those earning less than $400,000— the group on which Biden promised not to raise taxes —will pay an estimated $20 billion more in taxes over the next decade as a result of the Democrat-pushed $740 billion package, which also sets aside $80 billion to hire 87,000 IRS agents.
Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli Supports An Assault Weapons Ban And Would Not Defend The Second Amendment:
Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli’s history of not supporting Upstate New York and the North Country’s Second Amendment rights:
- During a November 30, 2021 interview, Castelli said that he would look at a proposed assault weapons ban in Congress.
- “Asked directly if he would support a ban on assault weapons, Castelli said, “We can all agree that there are certain weapons that belong on the battlefield, and not necessarily in our communities…I will take a close look at any proposal that comes before Congress, especially when it deals with guns, and make sure it is the right proposal for the people of this specific district…”
- Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli has continued to dodge whether he supports an assault weapons ban. From an August 5, 2022, Post Star report:
- “Castelli’s campaign did not respond to two subsequent requests on Wednesday and Thursday for Castelli to answer specifically whether he would have voted in favor of the legislation, which all but five House Democrats voted for.”
- On August 1, 2022, Matt Castelli said that he would look at an assault weapons ban in Congress when asked during an interview with NCPR.
- QUESTION: “Do you support an assault rifle ban?”
- CASTELLI: “I am happy to look at any kind of legislation. I think we need, those of us who support the second amendment and lawful gun owners, at the table when we’re talking about reducing gun violence in our communities and I think the best way we do that is really focusing on any firearm being kept out of the hands of someone who is going to do themselves and others harm.”
- Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli said during a June 10, 2022, interview with The Post Star that “an assault weapons ban is not likely to pass Congress” In the same Post Star interview, Castelli said that he would support “common sense solutions.”
- On June 11, 2022, Castelli said he was “proud to join” a #MarchForOurLives event in Potsdam and Saranac Lake.
- The organization March For Our Lives, which organized the events Castelli attended, fully supports an assault weapons ban and various other anti-Second Amendment policies, including a national gun registry.
- According to the March For Our Lives website, they support “a national licensing and registry system that promotes responsible gun ownership; a ban on assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and other weapons of war; policies to disarm gun owners who pose a harm risk; and a national gun buy-back program to reduce the estimated 265–393 million firearms in circulation by at least 30%.”
- In a June interview with WWNYTV, Castelli supported Governor Kathy Hochul’s new anti-Second Amendment legislation.
- “Although not all New Yorkers agree with Governor Hochul’s new legislation, candidate for the state’s 21st congressional district Matt Castelli says that he could no longer just sit on the sidelines and do nothing in regard to what has been happening across the country.” “To pass legislation to actually address this challenge. Right now, there’s urgency in order to make sure we’re in a position to keep our kids and our community safe,” said Castelli.
- Castelli wholeheartedly supported recent gun legislation that was signed into law by Joe Biden, which made gun owners second-class citizens. Castelli called this legislation a “common sense solution.”
- Castelli said he supported red flag laws during an interview with Congressional Corner on July 18, 2022.
- “I think lawful gun owners, many responsible gun owners who make up the 21st Congressional District, we agree that if you pose a threat to yourself or others, you shouldn’t have free and easy access to a firearm. So there is a lot of opportunity in that space, so red flag laws, background checks those are appropriate.”
- Red flag laws take away due process rights and will have no effect on deterring criminals who do not follow the law when obtaining firearms.
Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli Is Open To New Yorks Radical Bail Reform:
Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli said that New York’s Radical Bail Reform “may be an effective solution” during a town hall in Otsego County on August 2, 2022.
Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli Is A Carpetbagger and Never Voted in New York State until moving here in 2021:
Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli is not from NY-21; he is from Poughkeepsie and lived in Washington D.C. until August 2021. He moved to a short-term lease in Saratoga County and moved to the district less than one month ago.
- According to the Saratoga County and Dutchess County Board of Elections, Castelli voted for the first time in New York State for the 2021 general election.
- Matt Castelli admitted that he “relocated” to NY-21.
- Other outlets have highlighted that Castelli is not from NY-21:
- From the Watertown Daily Times:
“Mr. Castelli is a relatively new resident of the state’s 21st Congressional District. He was born and raised in Poughkeepsie, south of Albany, and most recently lived in Washington D.C. He moved to Saratoga County, at the southern end of the district, in August.”
- From the Times Union:
“Stefanik’s newest announced challenger is a town of Poughkeepsie native who moved to Stefanik’s own town of Saratoga … sigh … last month.”
Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli Would Be A Rubber Stamp For Joe Biden And Nancy Pelosi:
In Congress, Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli would be a rubber stamp for Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi’s radical Far-Left agenda.
- Far-Left Downstate Democrat Matt Castelli has declared that he would join a caucus in Congress whose Democratic leader voted their agenda 99% of the time this Congress.
