The normally quiet village of Sea Cliff, New York, was informed by a bizarre political drama when Pirate's Bootmaker Robert Ehrlich declared himself mayor before a single vote was released.
Despite the daring claim and unconventional campaign by Ehrlich, Mayor Elena Villafane won the elections on Tuesday.
Ehrlich, who is also the owner of a holiday cocktail bar in New York City, led to the chaos by Walpen in the city of the city on 10 March and announcing his mayor's takeover, complete with the resignation of all village employees.
He claimed that he had formed a new municipality, “the recorded village of the residents of Sea Cliff,” with reference to an obscure law called the New York State Citizen's Empowerment Act.
He waved with an envelope and claimed that it had 1,800 supporting signatures – the one he said he had to dissolve the government's government – but refused to provide evidence, with reference to what he called a fear of retaliation.
“We know what we are doing, and we are terrified of this act,” Ehrlich told ABC 7 New York.
“I ask the governor to step in and help us. We are being abused, threatened and ignored by civil servants who refuse to acknowledge these residents, “said the former Pirate -owner of the Pirates, who sold the brand to B&G Foods in 2013 for $ 195 million.
His dramatic takeover attempt led to a rapid response. “I told him to leave and called the police,” said village manager Brian Kennedy.
The normally quiet village of Sea Cliff, New York, was informed by a bizarre political drama when Snack-Food Mogul Robert Ehrlich declared himself mayor before a single mood was released
Ehrlich, founder of Pirate's Booty Snacks, led to the chaos by Storming Village Hall and announced his mayor's takeover, complete with the resignation of all village staff
Depicted: the picturesque town of Sea Cliff, with 5,000 inhabitants
Ehrlich owns holiday cocktail bar in New York City (photo)
The next day, Ehrlich ran and launched a last-minute writing campaign against Villafane, which had run out without opposition.
Painting the current administration as outdated and exaggerated bureaucratic, he promised to lower taxes and lower the regulations – in particular those who limit dining outside of dining, a cause he defended as the owner of a local café.
This is not the first meeting of Ehrlich with the local Sea Cliff government.
In 2003 he sued the city officials without success after he claimed that he had been discriminated against because he was Jewish. He was later ordered to pay $ 900,000 in legal costs.
In his last political maneuver against the city, he distributed his own unofficial ballot papers with his name next to Villafane's and even recorded a referendum with the voters whether they supported the recording of Sea Cliff in his newly declared village.
Despite his claims that the elections was 'rigged' and his promise to ask for a tax attack if he lost, the rise of the voter rose and by Tuesday evening the results were clear: Villafane won with 1,064 votes to Ehrlich's 62.
But even when the voices were counted, Ehrlich did not admit. “Our movement continues,” he said.
“This place needs a voice, and at the moment I am.”
He waved with an envelope and claimed that it had 1,800 supporting signatures, but refused to provide evidence, referring to fear of reprisals
“I will not tolerate any further attempts to undermine the board of this village,” said sitting mayor Elena Villafane
Ehrlich spread his own unofficial ballot papers with his name next to Villafane's and even recorded a referendum with the voters whether they supported the recording of Sea Cliff in his newly declared village.
Ehrlich sold the brand to B&G Foods for $ 195 million in 2013
He repeated his claim that he was the rightful mayor and promised to take further legal action against the village administration for $ 390 million, claiming that they had hindered his business opportunities.
“I plan to take their houses,” he said.
Villafane, for her part, rejected the spectacle and called for a return to normality.
“I will not tolerate any further attempts to undermine the board of this village,” she said.
Ehrlich, not deterred, is now planning to start a podcast and expand its snack company, Vegan Rob – although it remains unclear whether his mayor's ambitions are really behind him.
Ehrlich and Villafane did not immediately respond to the request of the DailyMail.com for comment.
