Cancer group PACs a punch for Zeldin
Daily Point
A big PAC contribution to Zeldin
Gubernatorial hopeful Lee Zeldin on Wednesday released his first TV ad of the cycle, a spot boosting him as a "trusted conservative" and tying Gov. Kathy Hochul to her resigned predecessor, Andrew M. Cuomo.
The Shirley Republican’s campaign says the ad is airing statewide, just one example of how much money it takes to run a competitive governor’s race in New York – and the big contributions that tends to entail.
One such contribution was recently scrutinized in a Daily Beast story: the $60,829 Zeldin’s gubernatorial campaign received in November from the Conquering Cancer PAC.
That federal political action committee, formed in summer 2021, has multiple ties to Zeldin, a cancer survivor. As of year-end filings, the committee has donated directly to only two individual candidates: the big sum to Zeldin and a mere $1,000 to Hudson Valley State Sen. James Skoufis, a Democrat.
The PAC’s website says it is seeking donations only from employees of New York Cancer & Blood Specialists, an oncology practice group, whose head Jeff Vacirca has been Zeldin’s hematologist. He was the one who said last year that Zeldin’s leukemia was in remission. The PAC’s treasurer is Nancy Marks, who has also served in that role for Zeldin’s congressional and gubernatorial campaign committees.
It’s not uncommon for PACs to be used to funnel big money to New York politicians. But state election law limits what a federal committee can contribute to a state committee without having to register separately with the state Board of Elections, according to BOE spokesman John Conklin.
The cancer PAC does not appear to have done so, but Conklin said the Zeldin campaign argued they should be able to accept the contribution due to a separate 2018 state BOE opinion. Conklin said "we’re reviewing what they pointed out."
Strange as it may seem, it’s also not entirely uncommon for campaign treasurers like Marks to work on both sides of the campaign and PAC aisle that is supposed to be rigidly policed.
There isn’t a prohibition against it under the Federal Election Campaign Act, said Federal Election Commission spokesman Christian Hilland. But the people involved in both campaigns and PACs have to be somewhat angelically rigid about the two sides, even if the PAC is essentially devoted to the same candidate.
"Treasurers, candidates, and staff must be certain not to coordinate communications with other committees, otherwise an in-kind contribution would result," said Hilland.
Marks and the Conquering Cancer PAC could not be reached for comment, but speaking for the Zeldin campaign, spokeswoman Katie Vincentz said of Marks, "We don't speak to her about the finances of her other clients, including the Conquering Cancer PAC. We had no involvement in the creation of the PAC or the solicitation of any donation from them."
— Mark Chiusano @mjchiusano
Talking Point
There’s an endorsement war brewing in CD3
As the Democratic Party primary race heats up in the 3rd Congressional District — and as the current Long Island candidates wait to see whether the new district lines tempt the likes of mainland State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi — displays of support can be a helpful way to differentiate the contenders while they dial for dollars.
For public relations executive and Democratic National Committee member Robert Zimmerman, the endorsements range from statewide or state-level Democratic figures, like state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and Assemb. Charles Lavine, to NYC staples — including former Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr. — and Long Island power brokers and elected officials such as Suffolk Democratic leader Rich Schaffer.
The wide range could in some ways be a feature of Zimmerman’s profile in the national party and fundraising, and there’s a lot of overlap between candidates who endorsed him and those he has contributed to over the years.
Zimmerman told The Point that these endorsers get plenty of donations from donors other than him, and that "these are people who would not give their endorsement for a donation."
Another person Zimmerman has written checks to over the years, incidentally, is primary opponent and Nassau County Legis. Josh Lafazan, who earlier this week unveiled a list of endorsements from a dozen current and former Nassau mayors, including Ralph Ekstrand of Farmingdale, Edward Novick of Old Westbury, and Daniel Serota of Brookville.
The pitch seems to be that Lafazan has ground-level support from those he’s worked with in county politics. The mayoral list also underscored the political lane for Lafazan, who switched from blank voter to Democrat late last year: All the endorsers were either registered Republicans or unregistered with a party.
Asked about that commonality for a candidate running in a Democratic primary, Lafazan’s senior campaign strategist Max Kramer said that endorsements from "senior Democratic elected officials" would be coming soon, arguing that Lafazan’s ability to work with all sides was a plus: "Josh is proud to be endorsed by those he’s worked with in government to deliver for their mutual constituencies."
A political-lane commonality has been evident in the endorsements for Melanie D’Arrigo, the Port Washington Democrat who last cycle ran as a progressive in this district against Tom Suozzi, who is running for governor now as opposed to Congress. She has been touting the support of multiple progressive groups and on Monday unveiled a long list of activists and organizers who are behind her campaign, including Nomiki Konst, a 2016 delegate for Bernie Sanders, plus Vigie Ramos Rios, a former campaign manager for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — all potentially useful to try to cement her as the candidate of the NY left as opposed to Biaggi, who could run in a similar lane.
Then there’s Suffolk Deputy County Executive Jon Kaiman, who appears weary of these name machinations already:
"We can see the writing on the wall in the endorsement game and so we are not playing it," he texted The Point. "The endorsements I am looking for are the people’s votes on Election Day."
— Mark Chiusano @mjchiusano
Pencil Point
Fake news
Credit: AZ Mirror/Steve Benson
For more cartoons, visit www.newsday.com/nationalcartoons
Final Point
Some people love gerrymandering
A strange sight has been popping up on social media and in some replies to tweets about the very gerrymandered maps soon to be voted on by the Democrat-controlled State Legislature: memes of Gov. Kathy Hochul.
They include one of her head atop a muscled and gargantuan body, snapping her fingers. Or different versions of her head with photoshopped, laser-beam eyes, sometimes used in place of a profile picture.
The gist seems to be that at least some Twitter users are happy about New York Democrats contorting congressional district lines in order to make it harder for Republicans to win seats and flip the House of Representatives.
"She came through," says one tweet above the Hochul-laser-eyes, in response to a message about the newly proposed CD1 lines getting more Democrat-friendly.
Hochul’s official role in the new district lines is that the legislation setting them in place for the next decade would be signed into law by her. Some of the social media support for her is less directly tied to gerrymandering and just a simple expression of desire to be part of a #hocult or #hochult.
It is not entirely clear how widespread or New York-based the Hochul memes really are. They aren’t exactly a mass movement. Even their meaning is a bit mysterious. Better meme-interpreters than us suggest that the laser eyes have been embraced by crypto enthusiasts, or that they could even symbolize someone tapping into a great power. There could be sarcasm at play.
But the general Twitter response about the NY congressional lines does show a little of the perspective of die-hard Democratic partisan internet warriors, who are less concerned with good government principles and more fixated on winning.
Take the responses to a tweet about Democrats giving up the "high ground" on gerrymandering.
"The high ground? How will the high ground save our democracy," asked one tweeter.
"The high ground aka ‘costing yourself elections because you won't play as dirty as Republicans,’" said another.
This perspective is expressed with plenty of other internet jokes beyond the Hochul images. And, in response to a message about CD1 getting more Democratic, this prediction about a certain repeat candidate: "Zephyr Teachout moving to Suffolk County tomorrow morning."
— Mark Chiusano @mjchiusano
