Agriculture Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine began his political carreer in Cape Vincent NY as a town councilman .

Recently, Fred Dicker reported that Agriculture Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine will resign in the next few weeks.
Aubertine began his political carreer in Cape Vincent NY as a town councilman .

Aubertine was elected to the Jefferson County Legislature and began serving his term January of 1996.
However, Mr. Aubertine remained a member of the Cape Vincent Town Council for eleven weeks, eventually  resigning his Cape Vincent Town Council position  April 1, 1996. Even though it was unclear in many minds, including Mr. Aubertine's, whether holding both elected offices was legal or ethical.

While holding both positions Aubertine did some cross promoting, he was instrumental in passing a legislative resolution  March 27, 1996, supporting the efforts of certain Towns in Jefferson County
 (Cape Vincent & Clayton ) interested in the possible siting of a State Prison within Jefferson County. A copy of this resolution of support was forwarded to the Governor and the State of New York Department of Correctional Services.
Questions remain as to whether or not Aubertine had property listed as a potential site for a new prison.

Darrel Aubertine went on to make political history in Jefferson County New York January 6, 1998, in an unprecedented move Darrel Aubertine became the first Democrat ever to lead Jefferson County government. At a time when Republicans outnumbered Democrats on the board 12-3 Aubertine was elected by an 8-7 vote. This Historical event was later characterized by some as the fumbling of Republican members of the Jefferson County Board of Legislators. The six dissident Republicans who helped elect Aubertine to lead Jefferson County government later apologized in a letter to other members of the county GOP.

“We are not proud of the outcome and certainly had nothing to gain and much to lose by our actions”.  

Prior to Mr. Aubertine’s being elected to the chairmanship he had supported Paul J. Warneck, R- Sackets Harbor for a second term as chairman.

Aubertine said that when it got right down to voting in January for a new Chairman, there was only one person he could trust: himself.“There are no apologies for supporting myself,” Mr. Aubertine said.

Since the beginning Darrel Aubertine has had what may seem to some as a meteoric political rise to his position as a New York State Senator. But this is far from the case.
After the strategic political maneuvering that gained Darrel Aubertine the chairmanship of the Jefferson County Board of Legislators , things began to accelerate to another level for Aubertine.  August of 1999, Michael W. Schell, former head of the county Democrats, invited Aubertine to a Rochester dinner with Hud Secretary Andrew Cuomo and AG Chief Glickman
Mr. Schell, at this time is the head of New York's Democratic Executive Committee. They all drove to Rochester with Aubertine and met with two members of President Bill Clinton's cabinet in Rochester.
This meeting in Rochester was a crucial point in Darrel’s political career.
In the spring of 2000 Aubertine announced:
"I have been asked to run for state Senate, but I've also been asked to run for Assembly,"Mr. Aubertine said. "I'm very flattered."
By April of 2000, Aubertine made the decision to run for State Assembly.  However,winning did not become a reality for him until early spring of April 2002 when Assembly's Democrats gave Aubertine a gift that money can't buy : Assembly district 118, was redrawn ,this was a major move that helped Aubertine tie up the election. He was elected three times beginning in 2002 to serve in the NY State Assembly representing the 118th or "River" District.
 During his carreer as an Assemblyman Aubertine  failed to make the required financial disclosures concerning two lease agreements he had signed in May of 2004, with NY Wind power LLC.
Aubertine also signed a bill that eliminated a tax penalty for converting land zoned for agricultural use to non-agricultural use. As a result of a bill signed  by Aubertine , a tax penalty was eliminated  for farmers that host wind turbines on their land .

Additionally, Assemblyman Aubertine felt compelled to write a letter to the Town of cape Vincent Town board encouraging them to ignore an advisory from the Jefferson County Board of Ethics that town officials with wind leases should abstain from voting on issues related to wind development.
The upcoming vote that Aubertine was referring to had the potential of eliminating turbines from Aubertine’s neighborhood. And may have had financial implications for him as well .

 February of 2008 Aubertine moved on to bigger and better things when he won an upset victory in the predominantly Republican 48th district.

After only a few weeks on the job Darrel put his sister on the payroll. A clear violation of  the ethics reform bill he sponsored and voted for. It wasn't until months later during a campaign debate that Aubertine admitted that he had broken the law.
 The shadow of questionable ethics and conflicts plagued Aubertine throughout his political career . eventually costing him his bid for re-election in November of 2010.
While the ethics issues and conflicts of interest may have been unacceptable to the people. Governor Andrew Cuomo had no hesitation appointing Aubertine as Agricultural commissioner January 10, 2011

Source: Watertown Times archives

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Excerpt below of Acciona's wind leases cooperation clause

Link here to read cooperation clauses for BP and Acciona wind leases