Tioga County DA Race Heats Up With Mystery Mailing

Copies of a seven-year-old letter have been mailed to Tioga County residents by the campaign of a candidate for district attorney.

The mass mailing features a three-page letter from June 2006 from then-district attorney Gerald Keene to an assistant DA, Kirk Martin, who is now running as the Republican candidate for district attorney.

The partially-redacted letter is a request by Keene for Martin's resignation because of allegations of driving under the influence of alcohol. Martin did resign as assistant district attorney.

Tioga residents have wondered who was responsible for the mailing because it bore no return address and no indication that it was linked to a candidate.

Envelopes indicated the postage was paid through a permit issued on Staten Island.

The campaign of Democratic district attorney candidate Frederick Luther acknowledges responsibility for the mailing.

Luther's campaign issued this statement to WNBF News:

A campaign spokesman said the letter was sent through a Staten Island-based mail service.

Martin did not return calls seeking comment on the mailing. Keene, who now is a Tioga County judge, was not available Wednesday afternoon to discuss the matter.

The issue came up when Martin was running as one of three candidates in the Republican primary in September. Martin at that time told WBNG Action News that he's a "changed man since 2006" and that he had stopped drinking.

The letter from Keene seeking Martin's resignation previously had been posted on the Internet, along with the resignation letter Martin wrote to Keene.