Who was behind a mysterious robocall that sought to split the Democrat vote before last week's election?
So far, no one's owning up.
The call was placed to registered Democrats in Port Chester, Rye Brook and Harrison. A female voice reminds voters to vote, and urges them to cast their ballots for Mark Jaffe, "a 20-year resident of Harrison and a concerned member of our community."
The problem? Jaffe dropped out of the race after losing the primary to fellow Democrat Daniel Brakewood, and shortly after.
Jaffe said he was not behind the call.
"It sounds like the Republicans," Jaffe said. "Who else would have done that?"
That's the prevailing opinion among local Democrats, who believe Republicans engineered the call to split the Democratic vote in the race for county legislature District 6 between Brakewood and Republican David Gelfarb.
Gelfarb went on to by . Despite Jaffe's endorsement of Brakewood, 321 voters cast ballots for Jaffe on Nov. 8.
Brakewood's campaign said they realize the 321 votes for Jaffe would not have swayed the result, and they do not contest the final tally. But they also characterized the robocall as an example of "dirty tactics."
The call was placed from an 800 number -- the same 800 number that was the source of earlier Robocalls promoting the campaign of Rye Town Supervisor Joe Carvin.
The phone number belongs to Cherry Communications of Florida, which "provides voter contact services for Republican and conservative campaigns and organizations," according to the company's website.
In an e-mail exchange, Carolee Brakewood asked Carvin directly if he was involved in the robocall. Carolee Brakewood is Daniel Brakewood's wife and a member of Port Chester's Board of Education.
Her husband had already conceded the election and she wasn't seeking information because of "sour grapes," she wrote.
"I am reluctant to let any politician / party get away with dirty tactics without giving them due ‘credit’ for going this route," Brakewood wrote.
In his reply, Carvin said he used Cherry Communications, but was not involved in the robocall.
"I honestly don't know," he wrote.
Click the video file above to hear an mp3 recording of the robocall placed on Nov. 7, along with a transcript of the call.
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