Findings in the Complaints of Anant Nambiar against Kurt van Kuller
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The Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee met via Zoom on October 29, 2025 to hear the complaints of Anant Nambiar (Democrat) against Kurt van Kuller (Republican), candidates for the Westchester County Board of Legislators (District 7). Mr. Nambiar and Mr. van Kuller both attended the Hearing.
COMPLAINT #1: Mr. Nambiar complained that Mr. van Kuller engaged in an unfair campaign practice because he sent out a press release about his filing of a complaint with the Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee. Mr. Nambiar became aware of it when a reporter from The Rye Record contacted him for comment.
FINDING: UNFAIR CAMPAIGN PRACTICE
The instructions for filing a complaint state that “Press releases concerning the filing of a complaint may come only from the Committee. If notice of the filing of a complaint is made public by any other source, the Committee will consider the action an unfair campaign practice.”
Sending a press release announcing the filing of a complaint violates the following FCPC Principle:
“The candidate will not abuse the Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee process in order to obtain political advantage. This includes, but is not limited to, announcing that he/she has filed a complaint …”
and also violates FCPC Guidance #14:
“A candidate should not abuse the process of filing complaints to obtain political advantage by notifying the press or public prior to the hearing of a complaint.”
Mr. van Kuller sent an email to The Rye Record rescinding his press release.
COMPLAINT #2: Mr. Nambiar complained that, during a League of Women Voters Candidate Forum, Mr. van Kuller engaged in misleading attacks on his character and misrepresented his campaign, referring to him as a “radical” and calling him “Mr. Mamdani.”
FINDING: UNFAIR CAMPAIGN PRACTICE
The Committee found that by associating Mr. Nambiar with Mr. Mamdani and calling Mr. Nambiar a “radical,” Mr. van Kuller was misleading the voters by contending that Mr. Nambiar’s priorities and policies are the same as those of Mr. Mamdani, the South Asian NYC mayoral candidate. Mr. van Kuller did not offer an apology during the Forum, nor did he publicly apologize afterwards.
Mr. van Kuller’s comments violate the following FCPC Principle:
“The candidate will conduct a campaign for public office openly and fairly, focusing on issues and qualifications,”
and also violate FCPC Guidance #10:
“A candidate is urged to exercise great care when characterizing his/her opponent’s positions. In the absence of a specifically publicly stated position on an issue, a candidate should avoid attributing a position on this issue to her/his opponent.”
Committee Members: Susan P. Guma, [Chair], Jennifer Mebes Flagg [Coordinator], LaRuth Gray, Cassandra Hyacinthe, Kyle-Beth Hilfer, Lee Kinnally, Robert C. Kirkwood, Carole Princer Levy, Don Marra, Paul Bennett Marrow, Joy Rosenzweig, Susan Schwarz, John Stern, Evelyn Stock, Lilian Wu
Party representatives (ex officio): Republican Party, Democratic Party, Working Families Party.
The purpose of the Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee is to help set an acceptable standard for political discussion by offering a forum for identifying unfair campaign practices and promoting a climate in which candidates conduct honest and fair campaigns. The Committee encourages candidates to conduct campaigns openly and fairly, to focus on issues and qualifications, to refrain from dishonest and defamatory attacks, and to avoid the use of campaign materials that distort the facts.
The Committee accepts written complaints from candidates about alleged unfair campaign practices. The Committee may then hold hearings to determine whether the action complained about is indeed unfair or whether it falls within acceptable political discourse. Among other things that the Committee will consider to be an unfair campaign practice is a misstatement of a material fact or any communication that misleads the public.
The Committee has no power to compel anyone or any group to stop doing what it has found to be unfair, nor does it have the authority or power to enforce election or other laws.
If the Committee acts on a complaint, it will release its findings to inform the public. The Committee may choose not to consider a complaint; in that case, a hearing is not held and the parties to the complaint are notified.
Statement of Principles of the Committee, as stated in its Manual, is available at www.faircampaignpractices.org. The Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee believes that candidates should conduct their campaigns in accordance with the following principles:
The Candidate will conduct a campaign for public office openly and fairly, focusing on issues and qualifications.
The Candidate will not use or condone any campaign material or advertisement that misstates, misrepresents or distorts material fact or any communication that misleads the public.
The Candidate will neither engage in nor be involved with false or misleading attacks upon the character of an opponent, nor in invasions of privacy unrelated to fitness for office.
The Candidate will not participate in nor condone any appeal to prejudice.
The Candidate will clearly identify by name the funding source of all advertisements and campaign literature published and distributed.
The Candidate will not abuse the Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee process in order to obtain political advantage. This includes, but is not limited to, announcing that he/she has filed a complaint, or quoting the Committee’s Findings unless the individual Finding cited is quoted in its entirety. The Committee considers selective quotation or misrepresentation of its Findings to be an unfair campaign practice.
The Candidate will publicly repudiate materials or actions made on behalf of their candidacy that violate this Statement of Principles.
