The early-bird posting of Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy’s campaign-finance report shows the Cuomo administration’s number two has used his fund to pay for what is described in the filing as “housing,” with payments going to a company owned by a major Republican contributor.

The report shows that Bob Duffy 2010 has spent $1,902.93 a month since January on housing, with payments going to AG Spanos, a real-estate company owned by San Diego Chargers owner and prolific GOP donor Alex G. Spanos. The payments total $13,320.51.

The purposes for the expenses are listed under “housing.”

Update: Cuomo spokesman Josh Vlasto responds, saying the use of the funds doesn’t violate state law because it’s related to the holding of a public office.

“The Lieutenant Governor does not take taxpayer funded per diems to cover the cost of his housing when he is working in Albany, saving New York taxpayers thousands of dollars. The law clearly states than an official can use campaign funds for activities related to the holding of their office. That is clearly the case here. And, upon taking office, the Lieutenant Governor in fact checked with the Board of Elections and they confirmed the above.”

The website for AG Spanos shows the company owns residential and commercial properties around the country and the only property in New York the company takes credit for building is a 300-unit luxury apartment complex called Patroon Creek near Washington Avenue in Albany, where Duffy stays when he’s in town for legislative business.

The company’s owner and namesake, Alex Spanos, is also the owner of the San Diego Chargers and a major Republican contributor in California and in the 2000 and 2004 presidential cycles.

In fact, the Center for Responsive Politics’ Open Secrets website calls Spanos “professional football’s most prolific political bankroller.” Spanos has not made any major contributions in New York races.

Duffy, the former Rochester mayor, has been a visible presence in Albany since Gov. Andrew Cuomo took office Jan. 1 and frequently presides over the state Senate, one of the few official duties for the lieutenant governor. Cuomo has also deployed Duffy to travel the state and drum up support for the legislative agenda.

Good-government groups have railed against the use of the campaign funds for personal use.

“While we don’t have any detailed information on these expenditures, the issue of using campaign funds for purposes other than running for office is something that should get addressed in the campaign finance reform bill which we hope to see next year,” said Bill Mahoney of the New York Public Interest Research Group.

The report does not show any major fundraising for Duffy in the last six months.

The New York campaign finance law is notoriously gray on this area. Lawmakers and public officials on both sides of the aisle have used political funds to cover a variety of items, including car leases. The law itself states that,

“Campaign funds for personal use
Contributions received by a candidate or a political commit- tee may be expended for any lawful purpose. Such funds shall not be converted by any person to a personal use which is unrelated to a political campaign or the holding of a public office or party position.”

Update X2:
I checked over Cuomo’s campaign book that discussed the need for campaign-finance reform. At the time, Cuomo wrote,

“New York’s vague prohibition on the use of campaign funds for personal expenditures has resulted in their use for such non-campaign related expenses as country club memberships, purchases of television sets and personal wardrobe items. Permissible and non-permissible uses of campaign funds must be clarified, and non-campaign related, personal uses of any kind prohibited and enforced.”

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