Rockland sheriff candidate suspended as Woodbury chief

Richard Vasquez, the Republican running for Rockland County sheriff, has been suspended from his job as police chief in the Orange County town of Woodbury.

Vasquez, 44, a New City resident, has held the $161,763-a-year-post since 2012.

Town officials could not be reached for comment on the 30-day suspension, the latest development in an already heated race Vasquez is waging against the incumbent Democrat, Louis Falco.

In a statement Tuesday, Vasquez called the suspension "bogus" and a "politically motivated" act of retribution after an argument with Woodbury town Supervisor Ralph Caruso over a vendor. He vowed to continue his campaign.

"This incident stems from my refusal to use a vendor, who I believe to be corrupt and racist," Vasquez said. "After learning that this vendor wasn't properly doing the work he was paid to do, offering me a bribe and referring to me using a racial slur, the town supervisor still insisted that I use this vendor.

"My continued refusal of the supervisor's demands led to this recent act of retribution," the statement continues. "It should not surprise anyone that this occurred only two weeks before Election Day."

On Monday afternoon, Vasquez met with several Woodbury officers at his home. He later handed over his gun and badge at Clarkstown Police Headquarters.

The campaign, to support its claims, released a 34-minute audio recording it says is of Vasquez and Caruso,a Republican, talking about McKenzie Auto, one of three local garages where the town services its police cars.

The conversation between the two speakers grows increasingly strained. Vasquez says he stopped using the garage because of bad work. A man the campaign says is Caruso repeatedly pushes Vasquez to "try him again." At one point, Vasquez says the owner of McKenzie tried to bribe him and called him a racial epithet behind his back.

The conversation allegedly took place on Feb. 16.

Vasquez's statement suggested a coordinated political effort behind the suspension.

"It is no secret that Sheriff Falco has told many people over the last weeks that he would be making my life difficult and that he was going to go after me at work," Vasquez said.

But Falco denied any connection.

"I don't work in Woodbury," he told The Journal News, declining to comment further.

Since he announced his campaign in March, Vasquez had drawn support from county Republicans as well as the Preserve Ramapo coalition. In speeches, he has called for stepping up enforcement of building and zoning code enforcement in Ramapo, among other issues.

He was also slammed by the the Anti-Defamation League for a 30-second campaign ad that featured a black-and-white image of Falco standing with several Orthodox Jewish men.

Caruso did not return an email and messages left at his office.

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