06/18/2026
SARATOGA COUNTY, New York (June 17, 2026) – Last night, at the Upstate Conservative Coalition meeting, paid employees and staffers of lifelong Democrat Anthony Constantino from outside of the district completely disrupted and shut down a public forum by shouting down Robert Smullen, and verbally assaulting committee members before needing to be removed from the meeting. Anthony Constantino’s staffers, after realizing their staged theatrics and planned lies were not working, resorted to verbally attacking voters and committee members in the room.
Since then, Anthony Constantino has lied about the events as his campaign is in a desperate spiral, attempting to distract from the behavior of his paid staff members in the room. The attacks centered on three false claims: that a privately-funded solar installation on Smullen's property is connected to Communist China, that it was funded by taxpayers, and that Assemblyman Smullen committed tax fraud. All three claims are false.
****The solar installation on Assemblyman Smullen's property was financed entirely with private capital. The panels are manufactured by LG – the same company that makes the refrigerators, televisions, and washing machines in millions of American homes. There is no connection to China, the Chinese Communist Party, or any Chinese-affiliated entity of any kind.
****The tax fraud allegation is not new. It was first raised during Assemblyman Smullen's 2018 campaign for the State Assembly – a politically motivated attempt to weaponize the criminal justice system against a candidate, the same tactic used against President Donald Trump. Assemblyman Smullen did not commit a felony. He was not convicted of any crime. The allegation was then what it remains today: a smear with no basis in fact, recycled by a campaign that has run out of legitimate attacks.
"Voters in this district deserve honest answers, and I will always give them honest answers," said Assemblyman Smullen. "What happened last night was not a policy disagreement. It was an organized attempt to prevent voters from hearing the truth. That tells you everything you need to know about where Anthony Constantino's campaign stands six days before the primary."
Assemblyman Robert Smullen is a retired United States Marine Corps Colonel with 24 years of service and three combat tours in Afghanistan. He currently serves as New York State Assemblyman for the 118th District and Chairman of the Assembly Republican Conference. He has earned the endorsements of the New York State Republican Party, the Conservative Party, 12 of 15 county Republican committees, the New York State Troopers PBA, Teamsters Local 294, the NRA, Gun Owners of America – New York, the New York State Pistol and Rifle Association, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
When a campaign cannot win on the facts, it resorts to disruption. Voters will have the final word.
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