Paladino’s campaign profiteering

October 26, 2010 8:00 PM

Articles in The Village Voice and the New York Daily News cite figures suggesting that whether he wins or loses the election in November, Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino and his staff and other associates will have profited nicely from his "Paladino for the People" campaign.Mainly self-funded, the campaign is said to have raised about $1 million from donors. Paladino formed his own advertising company, Ellicott Advertising, and has directed at least $1.9 million to it and other companies he controls.

Voice reporter Wayne Barrett reviewed disclosure forms Paladino's campaign filed with the State Board of Elections and found a number of questionable payments, including:

- The campaign paid $62,278 to a Paladino family real estate company, which paid the wages of unidentified campaign workers, in seeming violation of state laws that require the real identities of paid campaign staff.

- Campaign spokesman Michael Caputo's firm, Caputo Public Relations, was paid $407,190 for his work during the first six months of the campaign.

-The sum of $84,320 was paid to two companies Roger Stone's secretary, Dianne Thorne, controlled, with an additional $17,000 going to her stepson, Andrew Miller. Stone, a high-profile Republican political consultant, has been advising Paladino about his campaign.

In addition, Paladino has spent twice what his opponent, Democrat Andrew Cuomo, has spent on staff salaries and consulting fees. Campaigns normally try to keep employee costs to 10 percent of the total spending, and Paladino has more than doubled that rate, leaving less money for voter contact and grassroots organizing.

Barrett, Wayne. Carl Paladino: The Dirty Details in His Campaign Filings. The Village Voice. September 30, 2010.

Lesser, Benjamin. His own best business partner: GOP governor hopeful Carl Paladino pays himself to run campaign. New York Daily News. October 5, 2010.

Lovett, Kenneth. Tea Party favorite Carl Paladino is big spender when it comes to his staff. New York Daily News. October 15, 2010.