Elections board does a number on Hochul, James
Daily Point
Campaign info twisted in tech translation
Obvious errors in the way campaign finance information came to be posted on the New York State Board of Elections website led this week to two unrelated instances where small donors looked briefly like huge benefactors.
The roots of these twin anomalies, and possibly others yet to be discovered, have been under review by board officials. They appear to involve how and why the data technology used by the campaigns of Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James ended up creating jumbled and distorted public postings.
In one, Hochul’s campaign committee attributed a literally incredible $9.4 million in 1,944 donations to a single individual named Emma DeVito, who is neither a known philanthropist nor a political honcho — a sighting reported by the website City & State. Election experts said that pattern was not only far above campaign contribution limits from individuals but logistically hard to comprehend.
On Friday, election board spokesman John Conklin told The Point: "We were aware Tuesday night of the Hochul situation. They used a third-party vendor (to whom) we gave suggestions what to do about it." He said the information was taken offline and then resubmitted on Wednesday morning. "The problem was corrected," he said.
Changes made last year to a new campaign finance reporting system led to exchanges between the board’s information technology staff and third-party vendors. Difficulties have been reported with the new system and how it interfaces with users.
One Hochul campaign official, who noted DeVito actually contributed less than $250, said: "The campaign filed the accurate and appropriate information, but in the translation, to the board website, an error occurred outside the campaign’s control."
Fault for the problem between the vendor and the board was still a murky matter on Friday, and there were other errors as well involving donor DeVito, who was wrongly shown to be receiving expenditures as well as refunds — in other words, a mess.
A parallel problem developed with James’ filing, first indicated to The Point by an amazed election professional in Nassau County. An Alison McKinney was listed as donating $1.86 million. James’ aide said Thursday that this was erroneous and that this person actually contributed less than $100. There, too, multiple contributions were noted that differed from what was supposed to be filed.
When it comes to the campaigns that are filing, Conklin said, "Our systems have to talk to each other."
By all appearances, something got lost in translation.
— Dan Janison @Danjanison
Talking Point
Running free
Patchogue resident Cait Corrigan, 24, who plans to run in CD2’s Republican primary against Rep. Andrew Garbarino, has strong views on a number of issues — but the word she kept coming back to in a recent conversation with The Point was "freedom."
"Right now, in the time we’re living in, our freedoms are being stripped away," Corrigan said. "My opponent joined with the Democrats in … the destruction of our freedoms."
Perhaps Corrigan’s signature issue is what she calls "medical freedom." She opposes COVID-19-related "lockdowns" and mask and vaccine mandates, noting a need for widespread religious exemptions on vaccination. But while Corrigan, who runs workshops to help people write their own religious exemptions, has become known in anti-vaccine circles, she said she’s not opposed to vaccination.
"I’m not anti-vaccine. I’m against mandates," Corrigan said repeatedly, noting that she has a religious exemption to vaccines. "There’s a variety of religious reasonings against vaccination. People from across a variety of faiths can explain their beliefs … I believe … in religious freedom. God made our bodies perfectly."
Corrigan’s Students Against Mandates website suggests that those seeking a religious exemption should outline their personal religious beliefs and experiences and, in particular, focus on how human blood is sacred, noting that "vaccination … is injected into one’s bloodstream," that vaccines contain blood, and that "vaccines alter our sacred human blood." (The COVID-19 vaccine does not contain blood products.)
Beyond the vaccine issue, Corrigan said she opposes gun control measures, including the background checks bill Garbarino supported. And she criticized Garbarino for his support of the federal infrastructure bill, which, she said, "created mass amnesty and socialism," although she didn’t specify which part of the bill she was concerned about.
"The infrastructure bill is supporting illegals through social programs … and is encouraging them to come to our country illegally," she said. "And the big concern is our national debt and the financial burden on American citizens."
Infrastructure, Corrigan said, should be supported at the local level — not with federal dollars.
Corrigan said she sees high gas prices as a significant district issue and emphasizes her desire for "energy independence," with a focus on "prioritizing our own American oil and natural gas industry." And she said she hopes to focus on small businesses and veterans’ needs.
How will the newcomer, who has never run for office, beat incumbent Garbarino? She says she plans to "reach out to the constituents in the second congressional district to learn more about the issues."
— Randi F. Marshall @RandiMarshall
Pencil Point
Back in the USSR
Credit: PoliticalCartoons.com/Dave Granlund
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Puzzle Point
In the news
Welcome to this week’s news quiz, based on events that took place this week. As usual, provide the answer for each clue, one letter per blank. The first letter of each answer, taken in order, spells the name of the United States senator who said this about the troubling state of the chamber’s debate over voting rights legislation: "You’re either a racist or a hypocrite. Really, really? Is that where we are?"
A link to the answers appears below.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Law enforcement official who filed papers seeking to force three Trump family members to comply with subpoenas.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ A survey team off the coast of Long Beach and Lido Beach is looking for the best route for an electric cable to connect the offshore Empire Wind farm with a power plant in this Long Island community.
_ _ _ _ _ Number of Long Island high school students who reached the finals of the Regeneron science competition.
_ _ _ _ _ _ Corporate behemoth sued by the family of a delivery driver killed when a December tornado hit an Illinois warehouse.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Tech giant seeking to buy the maker of the Candy Crush and Call to Duty video games.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ President Joe Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin would pay a "dear price" if he invades this country.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Long Island town that approved four drag-racing events to be held in 2022.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ State elected official who announced raising $21.6 million in campaign contributions since August.
_ _ _ Quasi-government agency in Suffolk County that shook up its leadership in a postelection shuffle.
_ _ _ _ One of the two beverages movie theaters can now sell after a unanimous ruling by the State Liquor Authority.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Venerable film festival that decided to go virtual again this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Brooklyn Nets player fined $25,000 after exchanging barbs, including an obscenity, with fans in Cleveland.
_ _ _ _ _ _ Trump family member asked to voluntarily cooperate with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
Click here for the answers to the clued words and to the identity of the mystery senator.
— Michael Dobie @mwdobie
