Nobody in town except Cazenovia police officers and partygoers knew it, but last week Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner (R-Ohio) was in Cazenovia attending a fundraising event for fellow Republican Congressman John Katko (R-NY).
The event, held Thursday, Aug. 6, at The Brewster Inn, allowed more than 200 attendees the chance to hear Boehner speak and get pictures taken with him and Katko. The event was months in the preparation and, although nobody knew it, U.S. Secret Service agents and U.S. Capitol Police officers were in Cazenovia and on boats in the lake to keep the speaker — the third highest ranking official in the U.S. government — safe from potential attack.
“It certainly was not like having any other guest,” said Richard Hubbard, owner of The Brewster Inn. “Although I think the hardest part as parking cars.”
Exactly how and why Cazenovia and The Brewster Inn were chosen to host Katko’s fundraising event were not known to Hubbard or Police Chief Michael Hayes, and a GOP political aide would only say, “Speaker Boehner is traveling this August in support of House Republicans who are fighting to help create jobs, rein in big government and expand freedom and opportunity for all Americans.”
The policy of the office of the speaker it to not comment on his schedule, theRepublican was told.
Katko had no comment on the event, according to his communications director Erin O’Connor.
According to Hubbard, he was contacted months ago about the event and, per Secret Service instructions, had to keep it unknown to anyone. The Secret Service vetted the village, the location and all Brewster employees who would be working that night or who were new to the staff, Hubbard said. The invitations to the event did not say where it would be held as a security measure — it was only given verbally, he said.
Boehner arrived in a huge tour bus escorted by New York State Police and accompanied by Secret Service and U.S. Capitol Police officers. Attendees mingled on the first floor of the inn and outside on the patio and grass, Hubbard said.
“I listened to the talk; it was very good. There was no teleprompter, and I think he got his point across,” Hubbard said. “But the fact that someone chose Caz to be the backdrop to this event is what I think is pretty neat. Caz is cool enough that someone wanted to do it here.”
Boehner was originally scheduled to spend the night at The Brewster Inn, but those plans changed, Hubbard said. Boehner did play golf at Turning Stone Resort earlier that day, Hubbard said.
Hayes said he was also notified of the event weeks in advance and since then had been constantly in contact with the Secret Service, state police and U.S. Capitol Police. Cazenovia police officers did traffic detail with the capitol police “to ensure [Boehner’s] safety and the safety of others,” Hayes said. Cazenovia police also were out on bicycle detail and they had extra officers out on the boat patrol, which is normal for the Thursday night community band concerts in Lakeland Park, he said.
“It was very successful and well attended,” Hayes said. “The Brewster staff did a phenomenal job as usual and assisted us with parking and maintaining security.”
Hayes also said that Katko was “truly a classy kind of guy” who thanked every law enforcement officer who was on duty that night and shook all their hands, both when he arrived at the event and before he left.
Katko, who lives in Camillus, was elected in 2014 to represent New York’s 24th Congressional District, and is up for reelection in 2016.
Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached [email protected].
