Daughter’s Woes Won’t Stop McFarland
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
A top strategist for Republican Senate candidate Kathleen Troia “KT” McFarland said yesterday that McFarland would resume campaigning later this week after suspending activities to deal with her daughter’s arrest on shoplifting charges.
“Nothing has changed — we haven’t canceled anything beyond yesterday and today,” strategist Ed Rollins said. “KT is trying to deal with her daughter, and that’s a very painful process.”
Camilla McFarland, 16, was arrested Saturday in Southampton, a tony Long Island resort community. She was charged with misdemeanor counts of petty theft and possession of stolen property for stealing a pair of jeans and two bathing suits. McFarland announced Monday she would suspend her campaign “until further notice” to address the matter.
Ms. McFarland is competing with former Yonkers Mayor John Spencer for the Republican nomination to challenge Senator Clinton, the heavily favored Democrat.The GOP primary is September 12.
Camilla McFarland’s shoplifting bust is the latest in a series of embarrassing revelations and tumultuous family incidents that have rocked the KT McFarland campaign from its inception.
Earlier this summer, Ms. McFarland went public with allegations that she had been physically and sexually abused as a child by her father — allegations her father vehemently denied. She also acknowledged severing contact with a gay brother who died of AIDS in 1995.
Another brother denounced Ms. McFarland as “evil” in several news interviews last month.
Still, Ms. McFarland “very much intends to see this thing through,” Rollins said.
In a debate earlier this month between the two candidates, Ms. McFarland aggressively challenged Spencer over his marital history — he had two children with his chief of staff while still married to another woman.
A spokesman for Mr. Spencer, Rob Ryan, declined to comment on the state of Ms. McFarland’s campaign.
“John Spencer is going to continue to run his campaign,” Mr. Ryan said.”He is the conservative in the race, he has record of achievement, and he will be the Republican nominee.”
