BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- Citing what they call an abuse of power, Daisy Dawson and her attorney say Binghamton mayor Rich David should no longer hold office.
"He's engaged in conduct that should not be carried out by a publicly elected official. We would like to think city of Binghamton residents and citizens do not want to be represented by someone who thinks he is above the law,' said Dawson's Attorney Ron Benjamin.
Dawson filed a lawsuit against David and his girlfriend as a private citizens last week. The suit claims on January 1, David's girlfriend broke a glass over Dawson's head at the bar, Social on State.
"We were going to leave, we went up to one of my friends who was with us, who was talking to the Mayor at the time, told him we were leaving, said 'hi' to the Mayor, and turned around. A second or two later, I felt a smash on the back of my head," explained Dawson.
Following the incident, the lawsuit states David reached out to Dawson's employer, WBNG TV and tried to use his influence to prevent her from cooperating with police.
The station's general manger Greg Catlin said did receive a phone call from the Mayor. After speaking with Dawson and the Mayor, Catlin was advised by his supervisor it was not a company issue.
David says he was simply informing the station of an employee's inappropriate behavior. But Dawson's attorney says once the surveillance video is released, the truth will come out.
"I think the proof will be clear, that Daisy did not mention or spout about WBNG that evening. If that's proven, his justification WBNG is gone, leaving only one other potential motive, and this is to suppress and silence her," explained Benjamin.
Benjamin says the petition seeking to have David removed from office could be filed as early as next week.
On Friday, Mayor David issued a statement denying any wrongdoing. His attorney says he will not comment on any potential lawsuits that have not yet been filed.