Brody's Notes... Mystery Anti-Gay Marriage Attack E-Flyer In New York Race

By Brody Levesque | BUFFALO, NY -- In what some journalists and pundits are labeling political porn, a flyer has been circulated via e-mail that attacks New York State Senator Mark Grisanti, who was one of the four Republicans who voted for same-sex marriage into law in the Empire State a year ago.

The e-flyer, which has yet to appear in any voter's mailboxes in Grisanti's Erie County Senatorial district, accused him of being a "political whore" and asking "how far will a politician go to get in your pants?" On the reverse it states: "Make sure your Son [sic] says, 'Thank you, Mark Grisanti.'”

The flyer looks as though it's a direct mail piece and claims it was paid for by the Committee to Save the Erie County Republican Party. A Google search Monday revealed nothing about the committee, and it wasn't immediately clear who is sponsoring the group.

Buzzfeed political reporter Chris Geidner is chasing down rumors that it may have come from a failed Buffalo mayoral candidate and is labeling the flyer, "the most anti-gay piece of political mail this year."

Grisanti, whose been the subject of relentless attacks by the National Organisation For Marriage for his switching his vote to support same-sex marriage at the last minute had said as the bill was being debated in Albany;

"I cannot legally come up with an argument against same-sex marriage. Who am I to say that someone does not have the same rights that I have with my wife, who I love, or to have the 1,300-plus rights that I share with her."

Grisanti along with the three other Republican senators who backed the New York's same-sex marriage legislation were expected to face challenges over their votes, as are other candidates who have either supported same-sex marriage elsewhere in the nation.

UPDATED:

Buzzfeed political reporter Chris Geidner reports:

Buffalo-area bloggers and writers have been commenting about the anti-Grisanti machinations of "The Committee to Save the Eric County Republican Party" for a few months now, with multiple people connecting the "committee" to Matthew Ricchiazzi, a Cornell University graduate who ran a failed campaign for Buffalo mayor. One post refers to his "bizarro politics" while another in August mentioned "the pornographic mailer" he was preparing.

BuzzFeed has reached out to Ricchiazzi, asking if he was responsible for developing the mailer and if the prepared mailer was actually sent to homes in Grisanti's district. He did not immediately respond to email or Facebook messages seeking comment.

Back in August, two writers tweeted about the committee:

Pauldub@Pauldub

@buffalopundit You ever hear of the committee to save the Erie County Republican Party?

Alan Bedenko@buffalopundit 

@Pauldub you mean "Matt Ricchiazzi's one-man band"?

Pauldub@Pauldub

@buffalopundit Yeah his latest anti Grisanti email goes a bit far for me. Would like to know how he got my email.

Alan Bedenko@buffalopundit 

@Pauldub the stuff he's up to is beyond dirty.

In a public letter announcing the end of his failed mayoral run, Ricciazzi identified as bisexual. Alan Bedenko, cited above, writes for ArtVoice and tweeted that the prepared mailer never actually was sent.