Dennis Vacco

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Dennis C. Vacco (born August 16, 1952) is an American lawyer and Republican Party politician. He graduated with a B.A. from Colgate University in 1974, a J.D. from the University at Buffalo Law School in 1978, and was admitted to the New York State bar in 1979. He is to date the last Republican to serve as New York Attorney General.

Background

Vacco was born in Buffalo, New York, and was raised in the western region of upstate New York.

Political career

As Erie County Assistant District Attorney

Vacco was an Assistant District Attorney of Erie County, New York from 1978 to 1988, and United States Attorney for the Western District of New York from 1988 until the beginning of the Clinton administration in 1993.

As Attorney General of New York

Vacco was the Attorney General of New York from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 1998.

1994 election

In 1994, Vacco defeated Karen Burstein, the Democratic nominee. One week before the election, Staten Island Borough President Guy Molinari announced that Burstein was not qualified to serve as attorney general because she was a lesbian. The combination of Molinari's remarks, a strong national Republican showing, and the win of George Pataki in the governor's race, led to Vacco narrowly defeating Burstein.[1] The New York Times called Molinari's remarks, "gutter politics."[2]

Selected cases

Vacco brought national attention through a series of prosecutions brought against internet service providers, including Dreamscape Online, for distributing child pornography. The principal defendant, Buffnet, eventually pleaded guilty to a charge of fourth degree facilitation of a felony and was fined $5,000.[3]

Vacco played a prominent role in New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's attempt to require Time Warner Cable to carry the Fox News Channel. An attempt by Vacco to bring an anti-trust violation charge against Time-Warner failed.

As attorney general, Vacco also argued the landmark assisted suicide case Vacco v. Quill before the United States Supreme Court. He successfully defended the state's ban on the practice, winning the case by a 9–0 vote.

1998 Election

In 1998, Vacco was defeated in his bid for re-election by Democrat Eliot Spitzer, by a margin of approximately 0.6% of the votes cast.[4] He was the first attorney general in New York since 1925 to not be re-elected to a second term.

Electoral history

File:Dole-Kemp Rally at UB 1, 1996.jpg
Dennis Vacco (Seated on main stage, front, far left end) at 1996 Dole-Kemp Rally at the University at Buffalo, N.Y.

Vacco's electoral history has been tracked, online, at Our Campaigns, and it has been reflected here.[4]

New York Attorney General election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes % <templatestyles src="Template:Tooltip/styles.css" />±%Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Script error: No such module "Political party". Eliot Spitzer 2,084,948 48.20
Script error: No such module "Political party". Dennis Vacco (incumbent) 2,059,762 47.62
Script error: No such module "Political party". Catherine Abate 81,439 1.88
Script error: No such module "Political party". Robert W. Dapelo 60,399 1.40
Script error: No such module "Political party". Daniel A. Conti, Jr. 19,864 0.46
Script error: No such module "Political party". Johann L. Moore 18,984 0.44

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New York Attorney General election, 1994
Party Candidate Votes % <templatestyles src="Template:Tooltip/styles.css" />±%Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Script error: No such module "Political party". Dennis Vacco 2,294,528 49.28
Script error: No such module "Political party". Karen S. Burstein 2,206,188 47.38
Script error: No such module "Political party". Alfred I. Skidmore 85,649 1.84
Script error: No such module "Political party". Thomas M. Hartman 37,500 0.81
Script error: No such module "Political party". Dan Conti 19,202 0.41

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  • Nancy Rosenstock also received 13,416 votes (0.29%) for the Socialist Workers Party in this election.[4]
  • Vacco also ran on both the Conservative Party of New York and Tax Cut Now tickets in this election.[4]

Post-political career

Less than two months after he concluded an antitrust settlement with Waste Management, Inc., a waste disposal conglomerate, as one of his last acts before leaving his position as attorney general, Vacco joined Waste Management as a senior lobbyist and vice president for government affairs for their operations in New York, New England, and Canada. In response to questions about the settlement and the job offer, Vacco said: "Any interpretation or suggestion that this settlement - which included the United States Department of Justice - was connected to my employment by Waste Management - is preposterous and false."[5]

As a lobbyist in New York State, Vacco was identified as having made inconsistencies in required filings.[6][7] In April 2006, after a six-month investigation, Vacco was cleared of allegations that he violated lobbying regulations. The investigation "centered on whether Vacco’s firm had an illegal contingency-fee contract with a Rochester businessman in exchange for helping him win a casino deal with an Oklahoma tribe." In October 2005, Vacco’s lobbying firm agreed to pay the state $50,000 in connection with the questionable contract, but it was not required to admit wrongdoing."[8]

Vacco is currently a partner in the Buffalo, New York law firm of Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman, LLP.[9][10]

In 2017, Vacco unsuccessful defended controversial Buffalo School Board member, Carl Paladino after his employment was terminated for misuse of confidential information and making what many called racist comments about former president Barack Obama during a magazine interview. After a hearing before the New York State education committee, it was determined that the Buffalo School Board had the right to terminate Carl Paladino’s employment, no further legal action was taken by either parties involved.

References

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ ISP guilty in child porn case, Wired.com, New York, N.Y.: Conde Nast, 16 February 2001, Sheeres, J., Retrieved 11 November 2013
  4. ↑ a b c d e Vacco, Dennis, Our Campaigns, 1998 & 1994, Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman, LLP: Business Experience: Dennis Vacco Template:Webarchive, Lippes.com, Buffalo, N.Y., Retrieved 11 November 2013
  10. ↑ Watchdog report: Vacco's work on LDCs costs $167k, Democrat and Chronicle.com, Buffalo, N.Y.: Gannett, 8 November 2013, Riley, D., Retrieved 11 November 2013

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Party political offices
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Republican nominee for Attorney General of New York
1994, 1998 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Legal offices
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/checkTemplate:Succession box/check Attorney General of New York
1995–1998 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by

Template:NYSAttorneyGeneral

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