By New York Post (Politics) | Created at 2024-10-20 21:32:36 | Updated at 2024-10-20 23:26:48
1 hour ago
A Long Island village government promoted a voter event that turned out to be a rally to help elect a Democratic candidate in a congressional swing district, The Post has learned.
The village of Hempstead blasted out social media promos for “get out the vote” rally at Kennedy Memorial Park on Oct. 17 boosting Democratic hopeful Laura Gillen — and featuring Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
The event was no civic, nonpartisan registration drive but a rally for the Democratic ticket, video shows — complete with a “New York State Democrats” banner that was displayed as some supporters carried signs for Gillen, who is trying to unseat first-term Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito.
Democratic Mayor Waylyn Hobbs and the village used Hempstead’s government site, Facebook and Instagram accounts to promote the partisan rally, using a photo of Jeffries in the flyer for the event.
“Are you ready to elect Democrats up and down the ballot!” Jeffries said at the start of a 20-minute speech. “Are you ready to elect Laura Gillen to Congress! Are you ready to help us take control of the House of Representatives!”
A state Board of Elections insider said the use of government resources “ought to be investigated for sure.
“It’s a get out the vote rally for one political party?” the insider said.
Long Island Republicans sought to blame the Gillen campaign for the alleged abuse of taxpayer resources for what was decidedly a pro-Democrat event.
“It was wrong of Laura Gillen to try and trick the public by misusing a taxpayer-funded government building for her campaign,” said Nassau County Republican Party chairman Joseph Cairo. “It is unworthy of a candidate for Congress to deceptively promote an event as a voter registration drive and then hold a campaign rally, replete with Gillen campaign rally posters.
“She apparently even fooled Village officials, who advertised the event as a voter registration drive on official government social media pages,” Cairo added. “Voters deserve better.”
Chris Boyle, a spokesman for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, called for Gillen to refund village taxpayers and the county Board of Elections — which provided staff — for “an event that was supposed to be a voter registration drive.”
“In her latest stunt, Laura Gillen misused taxpayer-funded governmental resources for a political campaign rally,” Blakeman said.
The state Public Officers Law states, “Advertisements by elected government officials and candidates made with public funds [is] prohibited.
“No person shall knowingly use the funds of the state, a political subdivision thereof [any county, city, town, village or district] or public authority to pay for or produce, in whole or in part, any advertisement or promotion that is prohibited,” the law states.
Violators face a civil penalty from a minimum of $1,000 to a maximum of $5,0000, based on a prosecution that can be initiated by the state attorney general’s office.
The town of Hempstead’s ethics rules, of which the village is a part, says, “No Town officer or employee shall use Town resources for the following purposes ….The production or distribution of campaign materials or literature.”
The prohibition also says that, “No Town officer or employee shall use his or her Town position or official powers and duties to secure a material benefit, whether financial or otherwise, for ….Any private organization in which he or she has an interest.”
Hobbs, who is also a bishop and senior pastor at Coney Island Cathedral in Brooklyn, initially said “it’s not true” when asked about Hempstead’s use of government resources to promote the event. He said the rally was paid for with “private funds.”
But he declined comment and hung up when told the Gillen-Democratic Party rally was promoted across the village’s websites.
The Gillen campaign declined comment.
But Jay Jacobs, the Nassau County Democratic leader and state party chairman, defended the promotion of the rally, which he said was jointly paid for by the Gillen campaign and the county party.
“I am gratified that after years of misusing County and Town resources for political purposes, the Nassau Republicans have finally decided to pay attention to parties doing things the right way,” Jacobs said.
Hempstead is one of the most Democratic hamlets in Nassau, with a large black population. Gillen needs a big turnout there to defeat D’Esposito.
