Rep. Tom Suozzi’s prospect for lieutenant governor, Diana Reyna, owes $138,658 to the metropolis Campaign Finance Board for “outstanding repayments of public cash,” the company told The Article.
The former Town Council member’s debts stem from her 3rd Council campaign back again in 2009 and have remained unpaid at any time considering the fact that.
New York Town authorizes generous taxpayer-funded matching resources to candidates for metropolis business, but the hard cash arrives with a blizzard of strings and reporting requirements.
“Campaigns have to account for all community cash acquired by furnishing documentation (invoices, contracts, payroll, etcetera) for expenses that equivalent the sum received,” claimed Matt Sollars, spokesman for the NYC Marketing campaign Finance Board, introducing that Reyna’s around $31,000 in capable expenses have been well quick of what she obtained.
Lengthy Island Democrat Suozzi tapped Reyna, a fellow Democrat who represented a swath of Brooklyn and Queens, in February as his functioning mate in his key struggle against incumbent Gov. Hochul, citing her toughness and expertise. The pair have tried using to corner moderate and centrist voters by promising to roll again bail reform and slice condition revenue taxes.
“Diana usually reported that she intends on paying again regardless of what is owed from a earlier campaign,” Melisa Diaz, a spokeswoman for Reyna reported.
The arrears, nonetheless, are elevating eyebrows between the state’s Democratic grandees.
“It begs the issue did Tom Suozzi do a good adequate position vetting her before picking her for his lieutenant governor,” state Democratic Get together Chairman Jay Jacobs told The Put up. “This might be witnessed by some as a judgment concern.”
As a member of the Metropolis Council, Reyna admitted to steering discretionary cash to a senior middle run by her mother-in-regulation. Extra money was despatched to Putting Viking Tale Pirates, a non-gain offering after-college functions co-established by her sister-in-legislation.
Previous thirty day period Hochul’s operating mate, Lieutenant Gov. Brian Benjamin, resigned right after staying hit with bribery and corruption rates. This week Hochul tapped upstate Rep. Antonio Delgado to substitute him.
The challenge has been catnip for Suozzi, who has put in months employing Benjamin to deride Hochul’s judgment.
“Her deficiency of judgment and inexperience can cost us every thing if Democrats don’t wake up,” Suozzi explained Thursday in a tweet.