Latest news with #RobertEhrlich
The Guardian
21-03-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Pirate booted out: popcorn mogul's coup in New York village falls flat
The popcorn mogul who founded Pirate's Booty Snacks tried to commandeer a New York village's local government, storming this minuscule municipality's office armed with a false statement claiming that he was mayor. Robert Ehrlich strode into the town hall of Sea Cliff, a village of fewer than 5,000 residents within the larger town of Oyster Bay on Long Island, with all the finesse of a literal pirate on 10 March. He 'presented a statement falsely asserting his authority as mayor, demanding access to office space, and declaring that the entire village staff was fired effective immediately but could reapply for their jobs', authorities said on Facebook. Ehrlich, 66, cited a New York state law that permits local residents 'to dissolve their town or reformulate it', the New York Times explained. Under this legislation, one needs signatures from 10% of town voters. Ehrlich brandished an envelope claiming that he had 1,800 signatures – but reportedly refused to show it to town workers, alleging that signatories were worried about blowback. After his failed takeover, Ehrlich entered Sea Village's mayoral race as a write-in candidate. On Tuesday, Ehrlich lost heavily to the incumbent, Elena Villafane, in a 1,064-to-62 vote, according to reports. Ehrlich's mutinous moves are reminiscent of the campaign by Donald Trump's key aide Elon Musk to slash federal spending as head of the so-called 'department of government efficiency', an ad-hoc body created by the US president upon returning to the White House two months ago. Doge staffers have repeatedly arrived at federal agency offices demanding access to premises and computer data, while firing or putting on notice hundreds of thousands of public service employees. Many of his moves have been successfully challenged in court. After village employees told Ehrlich that his proclamation was 'invalid and unsupported by law', they asked him to leave. But Ehrlich and his associates turned 'increasingly confrontational and refused' the village said in a Facebook post. The pushback left Ehrlich's timbers un-shivered. Although city staff kept calm, Ehrlich and his crew 'raised their voices, used profane language, made outlandish claims, and engaged in direct harassment of Village personnel', the post added – and would not raise anchor. This created 'a hostile and disruptive environment that required police intervention.' Village workers suffered 'nearly an hour of escalating hostility before Mr Ehrlich and his associates left and order was restored.' Village leaders thanked office staff for remaining cool-headed and respectful despite 'being subjected to intense and outlandish behavior'. 'They are a credit to our Village and demonstrate the motto of 'Keep Calm and Carry On,'' the Facebook post said. After his loss, Ehrlich reportedly insisted 'I'm still the mayor' and, like Trump since his defeat in the 2020 presidential election, claimed the village election 'was rigged'.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pirate's Booty founder stages mutiny, loses Long Island mayoral election
Pirate's Booty founder Robert Ehrlich attempted a mutiny in a tiny Long Island village shortly before losing his campaign for mayor, local officials confirmed. On March 10, officials say Ehrlich and three supporters stormed into Sea Cliff Village Hall in Nassau County, declared himself mayor and attempted to fire all village staff, citing an obscure state law regarding the dissolvement of local governments. According to Ehrlich, the New York Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act allows citizens to completely replace the current government with another. However, the law requires support from 10% of registered voters to dissolve the government, according to the Long Island Herald. When Ehrlich and his supporters were told their claims were invalid and were asked repeatedly to leave, officials said they became 'increasingly confrontational.' A village administrator told NBC News on Thursday that Ehrlich continued to assert he had enough petition signatures to replace the government, while refusing to hand over the signatures to be verified. 'Ehrlich and his associates raised their voices, used profane language, made outlandish claims and engaged in direct harassment of Village personnel,' Sea Cliff said in a statement. After an hour of hostility, police intervened and Ehrlich eventually left the building. Following the chaotic altercation, the snack brand founder became a write-in candidate for Tuesday's mayoral election. However, he decisively lost to incumbent Elena Villafane in a vote of 1,064-62, Sea Cliff officials confirmed Wednesday. Ehrlich told NBC News the 'rigged' results didn't matter, claiming he's already the mayor. He also dismissed the idea of running again in two years. 'No, I'm mayor now. Why do I have to wait two years?' he told the outlet. 'I am mayor at this moment. I can write an executive order.' Ehrlich has claimed that current officials have not done enough to deliver services in a timely manner and revive local business. In response to his attempted takeover, Mayor Villafane told News 12 Long Island the while she 'welcome[s] the dialogue,' she's not sure that 'doing it in this sort of unorthodox fashion' helps the residents of Sea Cliff.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pirate's Booty founder declares himself winner of Long Island village's mayoral election — 30 minutes after polls open
Will they let him steer the ship or make him walk the plank? The founder of the popular Pirate's Booty snack proclaimed himself the victor of a quaint Long Island village's mayoral election on Tuesday — just 30 minutes after the polls opened. Robert Ehrlich's wild declaration came a week after the 66-year-old political newcomer drew headlines for storming Sea Cliff's village hall to announce he's now in charge of the tiny, 5,000-person community. 'I am declaring myself the winner,' Ehrlich told The Post Tuesday afternoon well before the polls close at 9 p.m. Ehrlich, who is not on the official ballot, entered the mayoral race last week as a write-in candidate. He said he was out since 6 a.m. Tuesday morning collecting nearly 800 'votes' on homemade paper ballots, which prompted multiple visits by Nassau County police to his coffee shop over possible voter interference. Ehrlich evaded arrest by successfully arguing his ballots were simply comparable to a poll, however, he also claimed the results are indisputable and outlines a clear win for himself against incumbent Mayor Elena Villafane. Villafane was running unopposed in what was supposed to be a simple election — until Ehrlich's village hall antics during which he also tried to fire everyone before being asked to leave. The incumbent says that during her time in office, Ehrlich has never attended a meeting, joined a committee, or shown any kind of real interest in getting involved in local politics before last week and could've gotten himself on the ballot easily. Ehrlich countered that he no longer tries to do things 'the right way,' claiming the village doesn't play by the rules. The small town showdown appears to have inspired many Sea Cliff residents to exercise their civic duty. 'I probably wouldn't have voted today if it wasn't for all of the craziness,' Tim Wegner, a 29-year-old Sea Cliff resident, told The Post outside of the polling location. Wegner said he and a lot of his friends, many of whom never voted in local elections before, felt their ballot weighed a little heavier this time around due to the frenzy caused by Ehrlich. Aside from claiming victory in Tuesday's election, Ehrlich maintains he's already the mayor of the new village he created the day he walked into village hall, the so-called 'Incorporated Village of Sea Cliff Residents.' Ehrlich argued that through a little-known state law called the Citizen Empowerment Act, he created this new entity and plans on merging both communities — creating an entirely new village that adopts Sea Cliff's current laws and budgets with him in charge. The Village of Sea Cliff blasted Ehrlich's claims as 'invalid and unsupported by law.' Ehrlich is now calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to get involved and 'set the record straight' for Sea Cliff. He also anticipates a long battle ahead of him, saying he expects his fight for his status of mayor to be taken to court.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pirate's Booty founder declares himself mayor of small Long Island village using obscure state law
Try that in a small town. The founder of beloved cheese-puff brand Pirate's Booty claims to be the mayor of a newly formed Long Island town-within-a-town in a 'legal' maneuver that is being brushed off by officials of the already-existing enclave. Robert Ehrlich, who created Pirate's Booty in 1987, has invoked an arcane New York state law called the Citizen Empowerment Act to create a 'new' village within Sea Cliff, which is located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, and install himself as its mayor, News 12 reported. 'I have so many great ideas. I love Sea Cliff from the bottom of my heart, and I don't want this to go in the wrong way,' Ehrlich pitched in a video on Facebook, according to News 12. The legal chicanery came to a dramatic crescendo at a Sea Cliff village town hall meeting earlier this week, where Ehrlich declared his authority to village officials who were outraged and incensed at the presumptuous, soft-peddaled insurrection. The 66-year-old arrived with a crew of three men and a list of demands for village officials — including requiring his own office space and the resignation of all current employees. 'Upon arrival, Ehrlich presented a statement falsely asserting his authority as mayor, demanding access to office space, and declaring that the entire Village staff was fired effective immediately but could reapply for their jobs,' the Village of Sea Cliff said in a statement posted on Facebook Wednesday. The would-be mayor and his trio of advisers became irate when village officials attempted to dismiss the outrageous demands — raising their voices, cursing and issuing direct threats for 'nearly an hour,' according to that post. 'The activities of daily governance are unchanged, and the Village of Sea Cliff continues to operate under the guidance of its duly elected Board of Trustees,' the statement read. Not all Sea Cliff residents were opposed to the possibility of an Ehrlich mayoralty. 'I think he'd do a great job because he's proven himself in the field of business with Pirate's Booty, he ran that like a tight ship,' Sea Cliff resident Tim Ayres told News 12. Another resident told the outlet that she thought Ehrlich's unorthodox approach was illegal, but it was 'good for him' to try anyway, the report stated. Ehrlich was attempting to utilize the little-known Citizen Empowerment Act, which allows voters to dissolve their government through a petition submitted to the clerk of the targeted town or village. A successful dissolution requires 10% of the population of the town or village to sign the petition, according to the state of New York. Sea Cliff boasts a population of around 5,000 people, meaning 500 signatures would be required to dissolve its government. The village is set to hold elections this coming Tuesday, with Mayor Elena Villafane running unopposed. Ehrlich has declared himself a write-in candidate for the election, according to News 12. Neither Robert Ehrlich nor Elena Villafane responded to The Post's requests for comment.
