RUSTIN

Rumor that Sen. Roy McDonald fired Rensselaer County Republican Chair John Rustin this morning, and then hired him back this afternoon ripped across the county today, but the McDonald camp tells me that his employment paperwork expired this morning and was re-upped this afternoon.

“His employment papers ended on Sept. 26 and it was going to be extended all along that that’s all that happened,” said McDonald spokesman Michael Veitch.
 

Rustin was named acting county chair last year after Neil Kelleher stepped down. I’m not sure how long he’s been working for McDonald at the Senate.

MCDONALD

Of course, there was all sorts of speculation the firing had something to do with McDonald’s dismal performance in Rensselaer County, where he was born and raised, against Saratoga County Clerk Kathy Marchione. While the two basically tied in Saratoga and Columbia counties - with Marchione wining the two towns in Washington County – she won Rensselaer County by some 250 votes.

I've never heard of "employment papers" expiring but I have heard of people getting let go from a governmental job bacause of a poor political performance outside of work. The first, I guess, is plausible , the second is a no-no but happens with relative frequency.

I was told again today to stand by the story, that Rustin was fired and then re-hired a few hours later.

Anyway, Rustin is back on the payroll, Marchione declared victory yesterday while McDonald is still mulling an active run on the Independence Party line. Whether he campaigns or not, he will be on the ballot come November with Marchione and Robin Andrews, a Democrat who is supervisor in the Columbia County town of Claverack.

Veitch said McDonald will make up his mind either by the end of this week or the beginning of next week on what his future plans include.