In rare move, 3 political parties unite to try to stop CNY man who took fentanyl from becoming judge

Bradley Moses

Bradley Moses remains on the ballot in Madison County, though party leaders have rescinded their support for his candidacy.Source: Madison County

Nelson, N.Y. — In a highly unusual move, three political parties - including the Democrats and Republicans - have now united to try to make sure a man on the ballot does not get elected judge in Madison County.

They are urging people to not vote for Bradley Moses, 44, who this summer overdosed at his home and tested postive for fentanyal, according to authorities. He’s denied taking drugs.

The Madison County Democratic Committee announced Friday that it voted this week to support Republican Rhonda Youngs as a write-in candidate for the judge seat.

The Madison County Republican and Conservative parties - which both had backed Moses - have both endorsed Youngs as a write-in candidate.

Moses will appear on the ballot as the Republican and Conservative candidate because it was too late to remove him under New York state election law. There is no Democratic Party candidate on the ballot.

Madison County Democratic Chair Liz Moran said in a statement Friday she believes Moses is “unfit to serve.” She said she and others will work to encourage Democrats and voters from other parties to write-in Youngs name on ballots.

“Some things are more important than party affiliation, and the ethics and integrity of our court system is one of them,” Moran said. “The Madison County Democrats are breaking from tradition to support Rhonda Youngs’ for County Judge because it is the right thing to do.”

At 9 p.m. July 30, Madison County deputies and ambulance crews were called to Moses’s lakeside home in the town of Nelson where they found two people unconscious, turning blue and gasping for air, deputies said. Moses was one of the two persons, according to Madison County Sheriff’s Office documents obtained by Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard.

Both people were administered multiple doses of Narcan and transported to a Syracuse hospital for treatment, deputies said.

A toxicology report released by the sheriff’s office in September show Moses had fentanyl, marijuana and alcohol present in his system. Other tests found that a white powdery substance at the prosecutor’s home was pure fentanyl, deputies said.

In August, Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard obtained 11 pages of reports by deputies that described what happened at Moses’s home.

A witness saw Moses and another man, Michael C. Eno, 42, prepare a white powdery substance for inhaling, according to the deputies’ reports. The witness told deputies the two men were cutting it into three lines.

According to the witness, Eno snorted the substance and he heard another person snort and turned to see Moses wiping his nose.

That same witness told deputies “that both Michael and Bradley admitted to him that they might have taken cocaine, but they weren’t sure if that is what it was,” Madison County sheriff’s Sgt. Aaron Silverman wrote in his report.

Moses, who was an assistant district attorney at the time, has repeatedly denied taking illegal drugs that day.

Moses told Syracuse.com that he lost consciousness after a golf tournament that Saturday due to acute kidney failure caused by severe dehydration after “high alcohol consumption coupled with the hot weather.”

In August, Moses said in an email to Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard his toxicology report at the hospital showed no illegal drugs in his system. He has not been charged with any crime. He would not make that complete medical report public.

Moses resigned from the Madison County District Attorney’s Office.

Moses has not taken himself out of the race for judge.

Asked in August if would step aside from running for judge, Moses issued a brief statement through a relative: “There will be a time to talk about politics. Right now my entire focus is on my family and my health and I am taking steps to be better for both.”

Madison County Republican Chairman Todd Rouse has said he and others will work their “tails off” to secure Youngs’ seat as Madison County Judge after Moses continued candidacy.

“We are thoroughly disappointed in his behavior and actions – both in terms of the life-threatening situation and his refusal to remove his name from the ballot,” Rouse said.

The judge post has a 10-year term and pays about $200,000 a year.

Youngs has worked for former Madison County Judge Patrick J. O’Sullivan as his court attorney, according to her campaign. She’s also been an attorney with Stokes Youngs PLLC and Mitchell Goris Stokes & O’Sullivan LLC. She’s also worked at Hancock Estabrook in Syracuse.

She lives in Cazenovia with her husband, Jim, and two young children.

“I’m honored to have the support of the Madison County Democrats, Republicans and Conservatives in my campaign for County Judge,” said Youngs. “As I’ve gone door to door and talked with voters at public events, the enthusiasm and support I’ve received from voters across the entire political spectrum has been truly humbling.”

Staff writer Darian Stevenson covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at dstevenson@syracuse.com

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.