Rep. Tom Suozzi’s prospect for lieutenant governor, Diana Reyna, owes $138,658 to the city Campaign Finance Board for “outstanding repayments of general public money,” the agency told The Submit.
The former City Council member’s money owed stem from her third Council marketing campaign back in 2009 and have remained unpaid ever considering the fact that.
New York Town authorizes generous taxpayer-funded matching funds to candidates for metropolis office environment, but the hard cash will come with a blizzard of strings and reporting demands.
“Campaigns have to account for all community money acquired by providing documentation (invoices, contracts, payroll, etc) for expenses that equal the total obtained,” stated Matt Sollars, spokesman for the NYC Marketing campaign Finance Board, adding that Reyna’s around $31,000 in capable expenditures ended up effectively brief of what she gained.
Extended Island Democrat Suozzi tapped Reyna, a fellow Democrat who represented a swath of Brooklyn and Queens, in February as his working mate in his principal struggle in opposition to incumbent Gov. Hochul, citing her toughness and expertise. The pair have attempted to corner moderate and centrist voters by promising to roll back again bail reform and minimize state earnings taxes.
“Diana constantly explained that she intends on paying out back whatever is owed from a former campaign,” Melisa Diaz, a spokeswoman for Reyna said.
The arrears, even so, are raising eyebrows among the the state’s Democratic grandees.
“It begs the question did Tom Suozzi do a superior more than enough task vetting her prior to finding her for his lieutenant governor,” state Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs informed The Post. “This may possibly be found by some as a judgment problem.”
As a member of the Metropolis Council, Reyna admitted to steering discretionary money to a senior center operate by her mother-in-law. More cash was sent to Placing Viking Story Pirates, a non-profit offering right after-faculty activities co-started by her sister-in-legislation.
Previous thirty day period Hochul’s functioning mate, Lieutenant Gov. Brian Benjamin, resigned just after becoming strike with bribery and corruption prices. This 7 days Hochul tapped upstate Rep. Antonio Delgado to substitute him.
The difficulty has been catnip for Suozzi, who has spent months employing Benjamin to deride Hochul’s judgment.
“Her absence of judgment and inexperience can cost us everything if Democrats really do not wake up,” Suozzi stated Thursday in a tweet.