Marc Molinaro criticizes Andrew Cuomo over Cadillac grant
Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, Republican candidate for governor, and Julie Killian, his running mate for lieutenant governor. Credit: AP / Richard Drew
Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro on Tuesday criticized Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and his administration for providing Cadillac with $1 million to upgrade its Manhattan office, calling the funding a corporate giveaway to a campaign contributor.
“What was Governor Cuomo thinking? Giving $1 million in taxpayers’ money to Cadillac?” said Molinaro, the Dutchess County executive.
A state agency, Empire State Development, approved the Cadillac grant earlier this year, according to the New York Post. The carmaker moved its headquarters from Detroit to New York in 2015; Cuomo attended the grand opening in 2016, according to a news release from his office.
Molinaro noted Cuomo has received more than $30,000 in campaign contributions from a General Motors political action committee during the past several years. Citing other grants for high-profile projects under Cuomo, the Republican admonished the governor for “taking money from taxpayers and cutting checks to businesses that don’t need it.”
Cadillac is a division of GM.
Cuomo’s campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment, but directed questions to Empire State Development.
Agency spokeswoman Amy Varghese said the grant leveraged $13 million in private investment and contributed to building a “strong pro-business climate” in New York.
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