Broome County district attorney candidate Michael Korchak is criticizing Senator Fred Akshar, who admitted to having an intimate relationship with the mother of a murder victim.

In a story published in the Press & Sun-Bulletin Monday, Akshar acknowledged he had what he described as a "brief, consensual relationship" with Mirella Masciarelli when he was a captain with the Broome County Sheriff's Office.

Masciarelli's son was one of two people killed in the town of Binghamton in 2013. Akshar had been involved in the homicide investigation.

In a statement released Monday afternoon, Korchak said "a law enforcement officer having a sexual relationship with the parent of a murder victim in a case he or she supervised is simply crossing a line that should never be crossed."

Korchak added: "There can be NO TOLERANCE for this behavior." He said "it is a violation of the public's trust and undermines the confidence the public has in law enforcement."

Korchak said he will call on Broome County lawmakers to pass legislation "to prevent this type of behavior from occurring in the future."

According to the Gannett story about the relationship between Akshar and Masciarelli, the senator declined to be interviewed.

Emmanuel Priest, Akshar's director of public affairs, was not available to comment on Korchak's statement.

Michael Korchak in downtown Binghamton on January 23, 2019. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
Michael Korchak in downtown Binghamton on January 23, 2019. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
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