If I was a Democrat strategist I’d be rooting hard for the Dutchess County Republican Committee to nominate Anil Beephan to run for the 105th Assembly District seat at their convention tonight. The mailers practically write themselves. Beephan’s handling of opposition research about him show precisely why he is uniquely capable of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
In a widely distributed one-page letter dated February 24, 2022, Beephan made at least four rookie mistakes that will continue to haunt him if he is the Republican candidate:
1. Until they got the letter, many if not most of those who read it did not know Beephan was sued for unpaid debts while an active candidate for the Assembly in November 2021. Beephan’s decision to send the letter essentially did the opposition’s job for them. The carefully-worded letter did the added damage of making readers curious about the details and more skeptical about the candidate. As political consultant James Carville once said, “If you are explaining you are losing.”
2. In an attempt to extricate himself from a minor political firestorm, Beephan threw his own father under the bus claiming his namesake was the defendant in most of the lawsuits included in the oppo research. Beephan also claimed his father had financial problems from which the younger Beephan, despite his own debt issues, was going to rescue him by purchasing the family home. Then, after using his father’s financial troubles in attempt to get himself out of a political jam, Beepham writes, presumably with a straight face, “I always believe in family first and will continue to live by that mantra.”
It will be hard for voters to believe that a candidate so desperate to win an election that he would broadcast his father’s financial challenges, will stand up for them in the Albany swamp.
3. Any financial issues Beephan’s family members may have do not explain why he was successful sued for not paying his debts. Beephan’s letter states, “I concluded a settlement with J.P. Morgan regarding some disputed charges stemming from 2020. I used the judicial process to reach a settlement that benefits both parties. This process is an ordinary proceeding in the business world and protected by orders of the court.”
In reality, Beephan was sued by JP Morgan for $11,042.85 because he borrowed money and didn’t pay it back. According to the court documents, Beephan agreed that he owe
d every penny JP Morgan claimed he owed. Beephan agreed to pay the entire $11,042.85 He didn’t “dispute the charges” He admit they were his. That’s not a negotiation followed by a settlement as Beephan leads readers of his letter to believe. It’s getting caught not paying and then an admitting you owe the entire amount once served with a lawsuit. As far as the pleadings being protected by the court, that claim by Beephan has no basis in reality.
4. A candidate for office can likely survive lawsuits and unpaid debts even if in the recent past. A candidate for office can also have a social media profile that reveals his hobbies are piloting a private plane, sailing a yacht and driving a flashy motorcycle. But he can’t do both and expect to be successful.
Refusing to pay a debt of eleven grand until the lender drags the candidate into court probably isn’t a game changer. But bad debts combined with a social media profile that includes, for example, pictures of the deadbeat candidate driving a convertible in Martha’s Vineyard bragging about being lazy, is a recipe for an election day debacle so significant that it could impact other Republican candidates negatively.
The last time there was an open seat in the 105th Assembly District was 2012. The East Fishkill GOP, with many of the same members as now, pushed hard for disgraced former Assemblyman Pat Manning, just as they are pushing Beephan now. Manning won the convention. Almost immediately afterward, the Dutchess County GOP that nominated Manning had to expend resources to sue Manning to get him off the ballot because of his legal troubles.
Don’t get fooled again.
-Kieran M. Lalor