News

Pearl River, NY – 4/24/2026… Democratic congressional candidate Effie Phillips-Staley’s campaign canvassers refused to comply with Acting Supreme Court Justice David Fried’s judicial subpoenas and have now been commanded to appear in court on Monday, April 27. 

One of the canvassers, Dion McBean — responsible for hundreds of the signatures the campaign has now conceded are fraudulent — cannot be located and is not responding to the Effie Phillips-Staley campaign. Summations are expected on Monday following the testimony of the final witnesses.

“Let’s call this what it is: Effie’s accused fraudsters are refusing to show up in court because they can’t hold up under cross-examination on how and why they submitted hundreds, if not thousands, of fraudulent signatures in her designating petitions,” said Lawler Campaign Manager Ciro Riccardi.

Phillips-Staley formally stipulated in Rockland County Supreme Court that hundreds of the signatures filed on her designating petitions are invalid due to alleged fraud, nearly 30% of the total number of signatures on her designating petitions. The campaign also stipulated that more than two dozen signatures on her designating petition do not match the official voter registration records of the voters whose names appear on the petition.

Today, multiple NY-17 voters who submitted sworn affidavits attesting that signatures attributed to them on Phillips-Staley’s petitions were forged testified under oath. Additionally, Phillips-Staley’s campaign manager testified he personally reviewed every sheet while preparing the designating petition for filing. The paid door vendor, Bartholomew Communications and Strategies, testified the same. The contract with the paid canvassing firm was also signed by Effie Phillips-Staley herself, further linking the candidate and campaign to the alleged fraud.  

###