NY-21 Political Fight Explodes: Legal Threats Fly as Constantino Targets Smullen Over “Defamation” Claims

A heated political rivalry just escalated into a legal battle, with accusations of false statements and demands for public retraction now on the table.

Things just got real in the NY-21 race… and not the “arguing on Facebook” kind of real — we’re talking lawyers, legal letters, and the word every politician hates hearing:

Defamation.

According to documents shared publicly, Anthony Constantino has taken legal action against Robert Smullen, demanding that statements made about him be retracted and corrected.

The legal letters, issued by BakerHostetler LLP, claim Smullen falsely accused Constantino of:

Having unpaid taxes in multiple states

Being a “con” tied to sticker-related political messaging

Promoting controversial messaging tied to law enforcement and political figures

Constantino’s legal team argues those claims are not just political attacks — they’re false statements that damage reputation, which under law can qualify as defamation.

The demand is simple on paper:
👉 Retract the statements
👉 Issue a public apology
👉 Stop repeating the claims

But here’s where things escalate…

A second legal letter claims Smullen did not comply with earlier demands and continued allowing those statements to remain public — which could open the door to a full lawsuit.

⚖️ What This Means (Without the Spin)

Let’s keep it straight:

This is one side making legal accusations

It is NOT proof of guilt

It is NOT a court ruling

But it is serious

Because if this goes to court:

Either the claims get proven true

Or someone’s credibility takes a major hit

And in politics… credibility is everything.

🔥 Bigger Picture

This isn’t just about two candidates anymore.

This is about:

How far political attacks can go

Whether campaigns are crossing the line

And who voters actually trust when the dust settles

Because let’s be honest…

👉 If the accusations are true — voters deserve to know
👉 If they’re false — that’s a weaponized smear

Either way, this race just got a whole lot uglier.