Party will no longer "actively invest resources" on Joe Price's campaign.
View full sizexxxxThe Onondaga County Democratic Committee today withdrew its support for Deputy Joe Price for sheriff because of concerns raised in a story in The Post-Standard.
Diane Dwire, the committee chairperson, said it will no longer "actively invest resources'' toward Price's candidacy because of admissions he made in the newspaper about comments on an Internet forum.
The newspaper reported that more than 60 comments with racist, sexist and homophobic overtones were written on syracuse.com under Price's user name -- modman97 -- last year.
Price denied writing any of the comments when Dwire confronted him about them in April. When the newspaper asked him about the posts on Syracuse.com last week, Price admitted writing two that complained about affirmative action. He at first denied writing all the others, including a homophobic comment in June 2009. But Price admitted he wrote that comment after a reporter questioned him further.
As for all the other offensive posts, Price said someone else must have used his password or sat at his computer at work or home after he was logged on, then written them without his knowledge.
"Mr. Price unequivocally denied to the chairperson his involvement in said postings during the candidate vetting process and in subsequent questioning," Dwire wrote in a news release today. "The Democratic Party has always been based on inclusiveness, equality and respect for all. The office of sheriff deserves credibility and integrity."
In April, the Democratic committee designated sheriff's Sgt. Toby Shelley as its candidate to run against Sheriff Kevin Walsh. But Price upset Shelley in last week's primary to win the Democratic line on the November ballot.
The Democratic party doesn't have the authority to remove Price's name from the ballot, Dwire said. But the party does have the discretion of whether to provide its resources to candidates, she said.
Neither Price nor his campaign manager could be reached for comment.
» Previously: Democratic candidate for Onondaga County sheriff says someone posted racist comments under his user name