State Senate Minority leader uses campaign funds to pay law firm

The City & State blog is reporting that State Senate Minority Leader John Sampson paid $5,000 to a Manhattan law firm which is representing him on the ongoing Aqueduct Entertainment Group probe.  The firm, Thompson, Wigdor & Gilly, received the payment in July, 2011.  The Ci
Continue Reading →

Senate GOP raises nearly five times more than Senate Dems

Jimmy Vielkind of the Times Union writes: “We already knew the Senate Republican Campaign Committee out-raised its Democratic counterpart, but a new analysis this morning by NYPIRG’s Bill Mahoney shows the extent of the GOP’s aggregate fiscal edge. If you combine the cash ba
Continue Reading →

More on campaign cash for GOP same-sex marriage supporters

Danny Hakim of the New York Times writes: “Gay rights advocates from Wall Street to Hollywood poured donations into the coffers of four little-known Republican state senators after the lawmakers provided the decisive votes for same-sex marriage in New York last June, according t
Continue Reading →

Campaign cash for GOP Senators who voted “yes” on same-sex marriage

Sen. Mark Grisanti reported raising $246,687, most from same-sex marriage supporters, and another Republican who voted for same-sex marriage, Sen. Steve Saland, raised $425,202. Liz Benjamin of Capital Tonight writes: “Grisanti, who has voluntarily filed six financial reports wi
Continue Reading →

Cuomo’s campaign cash

Cuomo reports having over $14 million on hand after raising more than $6 million in as many months. Michael Johnson of Capital Tonight writes: “Governor Andrew Cuomo added more than $5 million dollars to his campaign warchest over the past 6 months, taking in $6.2 million while
Continue Reading →

More on Liu’s questionable campaign finances

William Rashbaum and David Chen of the New York Times write: “The federal inquiry into the campaign finances of New York City’s comptroller, John C. Liu, a possible mayoral candidate in 2013, appears to be widening, with people knowledgeable about the matter saying Thursday th
Continue Reading →

Nonprofits, Labor to Swarm Hearing

At least 15 nonprofit groups — including the Coalition for the Homeless, the Citizens’ Committee for Children and the Human Services Council — plan to testify at a Campaign Finance Board hearing tomorrow against proposed rules that they contend would decimate advocacy campai
Continue Reading →