Man in Davis altercation is chief of staff for Corwin

GREECE, N.Y. (WIVB) - News 4 has uncovered new details about the candidate-cameraman scuffle as the race for a congressional seat heads toward the lightning round. One of Jane Corwin's people, acting on his own time, was behind the stunt.

It's a video that proves this race has gotten nasty. Jack Davis shoves a camera away after what may have been a deliberate attempt to provoke him, but neither side makes any apologies.

Davis said, "This was an attack. This was a planned harassed attack."

>> See the original story here

>> Watch the video here

Congressional candidate Jack Davis says the man who shot the video was waiting for him as he left a campaign appearance in Greece Wednesday night.

"And I walked over to my car and I couldn't get in, he has this camera on me, so I took the camera and I shoved it, and he knocked my mirror aside and he left screaming at me," said Davis.

It turns out the man behind the camera asking the question was Michael Mallia, Jane Corwin's chief of staff for her Assembly office.

Corwin said, "This was not on Assembly hours. He was acting on his own, it was in the evening and I'm not responsible for what he's doing after hours. Well, like I said, I'm not even going to comment on [how I feel about his actions] because it's up to him to decide how he wants to behave. All I know is that I don't think it speaks well for Jack's temperament when he's taking shots at people."

Davis said, "I do appreciate Channel 4 coming out like this and giving me a chance to explain. The Republicans tried to make me look like a criminal who was beating up on young guys."

Erie County GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy said, "There've certainly been operatives from the Davis and the Hochul camps that have been to Jane Corwin's house, taking pictures following her to events, putting her on camera."