Suffolk police group spent $400,000 into '18 campaigns

The Long Island Law Enforcement Foundation, an independent expenditure committee of Suffolk police unions, put $401,179 in the past fall’s campaigns, spending the most — $141,008 — for Democratic Surrogate judge-elect Theresa Whelan.

The powerful union political arm spent the next most on Republican Comptroller John M. Kennedy and County Clerk Judith Pascale, who each had $71,992 spent on their races.

The foundation reported the bulk of their spending after Election Day. Their 11-day pre-election campaign finance filing showed it spent $32,275 for a half dozen candidates, which did not even include any funding for Whelan before Election Day.

The foundation also spent $148,019 on four GOP State Senate candidates ranging from a low of $28,842 for Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan to a high of $47,683 for Assemb. Dean Murray, who ran a losing race against Democratic Suffolk Legis. Monica Martinez.

The report did not detail how the foundation spent its money on each candidate, but $299,873 was spent on radio ads while another $80,000 was spent on mobile and stationary billboards.