Update: Alleged Altercation Between Rome Mayor and Former Mayor

There are very few official details available right now,  but as one can imagine, the city of Rome is abuzz following reports that current Mayor Jeff Lanigan and previous Mayor Jim Brown were involved in a scuffle on Tuesday night at the Rome Teugega Golf Club. The incident is being investigated by the Oneida County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Rob Maciol has confirmed with WIBX that there is an ongoing investigation that is expected to be wrapped up soon. Maciol said an incident was reported by Brown on Tuesday night regarding an incident at the Teugega Club. While Maciol did not rule out charges, he said no charges have been made at this time.

Rome Mayor Jeff Lanigan released a statement, along with and a media release on Wednesday afternoon denying any physical altercation with former Mayor Brown. "A photo has been widely distributed on social media as being tied to the incident. Mayor Lanigan wants the public to be assured that he never injured Mr. Brown and it is unclear how his alleged injury occurred," the release stated.

Mayor Lanigan issued the following personal statement:

"Public life can bring moments of tension, and unfortunately, politics can be ugly. I am disappointed in Mr. Brown’s recent public outbursts. As a former mayor and friend, I assumed I could speak to him in a respectful manner. Unfortunately, his level of intoxication impacted the conversation. My focus will always be on acting responsibly, even in challenging situations. I remain committed to serving the people of Rome with professionalism and respect," said Lanigan.

According to the release from Mayor's office, Mayor Lanigan "escorted" Brown, who was intoxicated, back to his designated driver vehicle, and assisted him into the car.

"Mayor Lanigan approached Mr. Brown in a respectful effort to speak directly with him. Mr. Brown was facing away from Mayor Lanigan, and in an attempt to get his attention placed his hand on Mr. Brown’s shoulder. Mr. Brown responded by flailing his arms and he became verbally aggressive. Recognizing Mr. Brown’s apparent level of intoxication, Mayor Lanigan made the decision to escort him to his designated driver’s vehicle a short distance away for his own safety. While assisting Mr. Brown into the car, the verbal dispute continued. No physical assault occurred, and the situation ended shortly thereafter," the statement read.

The release continued: "Mayor Lanigan and Mr. Brown were close friends for many years until recently when Mr. Brown began publicly disparaging the mayor and his administration for no apparent reason. This is not the first time former Mayor Brown has been involved in a public incident of this nature. According to news reports at the time, in March 2010, while serving as mayor, Brown clashed publicly with former City Councilman and Mayor Joseph Fusco Jr. at a Rome Area Chamber of Commerce fundraiser at The Beeches. At that event, in front of roughly 160 attendees, Brown aggressively confronted Fusco, accusing him of making ongoing derogatory comments about his administration. Accounts varied, but Fusco alleged Brown used vulgar language and shoved his wife, Laurie Fusco—an accusation Brown denied. The situation, though not reported to police at the time, led to legal consultations by Fusco and generated significant public concern. Brown was a two-term Republican Mayor for Rome from 2004 through 2011. Lannigan became Mayor of the Upstate New York City in 2023. Lanigan has been instrumental in Rome's recovery following a F-2 tornado that struck the downtown area on July 16, 2024."

WIBX has reached out to Jim Brown for comment and we're awaiting his response.

Check back for additional information.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE:   This post is for informational purposes and is based largely on information received from the Oneida County Sheriff's Office. Regardless of any statements or photographs regarding potential evidence presented or accusations alleged, the reader is reminded that all suspects and/or arrested persons are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. At the time of this posting no additional information is available.]