“For the last several months Mayor Gilmore has run a campaign of misdirection and misrepresentation aimed at destroying my reputation,” said Bencivengo.  “But now he has gone way over the line by attacking my family in his latest campaign commercial.  My family has never put themselves out in public to become a target for Mayor Gilmore, but he has seen fit to bring them into this campaign anyhow.  Candidates’ families are off limits and this attack goes way beyond the bounds of common decency,” he continued

“Glen Gilmore has now shown his true character.  What type of man would permit such an attack on a political opponent’s family just to score political points?  I’ll let the public answer that since I can’t find the words to describe such a man,” Bencivengo added.

“Today, I am demanding that Glen Gilmore take down this vicious campaign commercial and publicly apologize to my family and to the people of Hamilton for the pain and embarrassment he has caused them due to his shameful campaign.  A man who would sink so low and hit so far below the belt for political gain doesn’t deserve to be Mayor of Hamilton,” stated Bencivengo.  “I have also retained an attorney and am filing a complaint against the Hamilton Partnership and Mayor Gilmore for violating my family’s privacy.  They had no right to make private employment records public, especially since the Partnership is a private organization and the employment was recommended by the Chairman and approved by the Board of Directors.  Such an action is most certainly unethical, if not illegal.”

“Furthermore, the Hamilton Partnership is a 501(c)(6) corporation as classified by the IRS.  Under this designation the Partnership is prohibited from participating in anything political and by taking part in Glen Gilmore’s commercial the Mayor and the leadership of the Partnership have put the group’s non-profit designation in jeopardy, which will hurt all businesses in Hamilton,” Bencivengo commented. 

“Once again Glen Gilmore has shown his true colors.  Instead of talking about the issues that the people of Hamilton truly care about, he continues to run a campaign of personal and insidious attacks on my character, and now on my family,” said Bencivengo.  “Why won’t Mayor Gilmore tell the people where his long overdue budget is?  Why is he trying so hard to keep the Annual Financial Statement a secret?  It’s because they will both show a huge tax increase is imminent due to Glen Gilmore’s mismanagement over the last eight years, a tax increase the Mayor can’t afford to release until after Election Day.  Perhaps Mayor Gilmore should stop his personal attacks against my family and start looking for his budget that is missing,” Bencivengo concluded.