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Sean Maloney Eyes House Run
Feb 3rd - 4:58 pm
A reader emailed a tip earlier today that Sean Patrick Maloney, a former top aide in the Spitzer and Paterson administrations, is mulling a potential House run in whatever becomes of NY-22 – the district currently held by retiring Rep. Maurice Hinchey – when LATFOR gets done drawing the congressional lines.
Maloney is a New York City resident, but he and his partner, Randy Florke, have owned property in Sullivan County since the mid-1990s and Florke’s real estate business, The Rural Connection, is based there.
I spoke briefly to Maloney earlier today, and he confirmed that he had received encouragement to consider running following Hinchey’s announcement last month that he would not seek re-election this fall. Maloney then emailed the following statement:
“Hinchey’s retirement is a big loss to all of us who love the area. I’m flattered to be encouraged. Obviously, we need to know where the lines fall – but I’m very interested.”
This would not be Maloney’s first foray into realm of electoral politics. Back in 2006, he ran in the Democratic primary for state attorney general and finished third. (The winner of that race was Andrew Cuomo).
Maloney subsequently was hired by Gov. Eliot Spitzer, serving as first deputy secretary to the governor. He ended up playing a key role in the administration’s management of the Troopergate scandal, and then held the same position in Gov. David Paterson’s cabinet when the former LG was elevated to replace Spitzer after he was forced to resign following a prostitution scandal.
Maloney left the state payroll at the end of 2008 to join Kirkland & Ellis, the law firm that hired Michael Garcia, the U.S. Attorney who brought down Spitzer.
Prior to his 2006 run, Maloney was an associate at the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, which is also home to former Gov. Mario Cuomo. Before that, he was a senior West Wing adviser to President Bill Clinton. According to Wikipedia, Maloney was the youngest person ever to serve as the President’s White House staff secretary, and was also the highest-ranking openly gay man ever to serve on the White House staff.
Nightmare Scenarios Spawned By Prospect Of 3 Primaries
Feb 3rd - 4:33 pm
A reader with a lot of knowledge of the state of play in various New York House districts emailed to note that the possibility of three separate primary dates in New York – April 24 (presidential), June 26 (House and US Senate) and Sept. 11 (state Legislature) – raises “some interesting, theoretical, maybe far-fetched but not impossible scenarios” that would give not a few elected officials and party leaders heartburn.
Here’s the trouble: If legislators don’t agree on a bill to move their own primary date to correspond with the one that US District Court Judge Gary Sharpe ordered for the federal races, then Assembly members and senators could theoretically challenge sitting House members and then, if that doesn’t work out, fall back to run for their own seats.
The reader came up with the following examples; feel free to weigh in if you think of any others:
1) CHAOS IN NORTHERN MANHATTAN?
Sen. Adriano Espaillat announces he will run for the new Latino seat in Upper Manhattan that is widely expected to be created in the next round of LATFOR maps. Local Democrats like Assemblyman Guillermo Linares and Mark Levine, who lost to Espaillat in the September 2010 primary for AG Eric Schneiderman’s old seat, would then scramble for Adriano’s Senate seat and start circulating petitions.
But Espaillat unexpectedly loses the congressional primary. Not wanting to be out of a job, he collects petitions to run for the Senate, files them on July 8, and runs on Sept. 11. Or, perhaps he doesn’t have to run in a primary at all because Linares, Levine and whoever else had entered the race for his seat drop their bids once he returns to the race.
2) MAYHEM IN NORTH BROOKLYN?
Sen. Martin Dilan announces he will challenge Rep. Nydia Velazquez (NY-12) in the June primary. Democrats like his son, NYC Councilman Erik Dilan, and Jesus Gonzalez, (the WFP-backed candidate who lost a heated three-way battle for former Assemblyman Darryl Towns’ seat to Erik Dilan’s chief of staff, Rafael Espinal, in 2010), quickly scramble for Martin Dilan’s Senate seat and start circulating petitions.
But Dilan loses the congressional primary, so he then collects petitions to run for his Senate seat – unless he doesn’t have to run because his son and Espinal back off. Or maybe Erik Dilan gets the line, but then declines the designation of his petitions – and the petition’s committee on vacancies replaces Erik with his father.
3) TWO BITES AT THE APPLE IN QUEENS?
- Queens Assemblyman Rory Lancman runs in a primary for the House seat currently occupied by Rep. Bob Turner, (assuming NY-9 still exists after redistricting and Turner doesn’t end up in a general election head-to-head with Rep. Joe Crowley or Rep. Gary Ackerman), loses and then goes back to run for his Assembly seat.
4) SECOND THOUGHTS IN THE HUDSON VALLEY?
- Sen. Greg Ball reconsiders his decision not to primary Rep. Nan Hayworth in NY-19 because he has little to lose, given his ability to run for his Senate seat if the House race doesn’t go his way.
Of course, this whole theory could just as easily apply to a congressional candidate running in a contested primary who loses and then decides to run for state Legislature. So, for example, one of the five Democrats now vying for the right to take on Hayworth in November could then run for the Senate in retiring Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer’s district, challeging the likely Democratic candidate, Assemblyman George Latimer, in the Sept. 11 primary.
Again, this is all completely speculative. The political calendar is in flux due to Sharpe’s decision. LATFOR hasn’t released the congressional lines yet. There might be some technicalities here that I’m overlooking. Perhaps one of the Jerrys – Skurnik? Goldfeder? – will set me straight.
But stranger things have happened. Not a bad deal for all these Albany incumbents who – other than special elections – usually need to give up their seats to run for Congress.
Tonko: ‘Gasland’ Director Treatment By GOP Was ‘Censorship’
Feb 3rd - 7:59 am
ICYMI: Rep. Paul Tonko told me during a CapTon interview last night that he considered the arrest of “Gasland” director Josh Fox by while he tried to film a House subcommittee hearing on drilling Wednesday morning was tantamount to censorship.
Tonko, who sits on the Science, Space & Technology subcommitteewe, said Democrats were encouraging the chair of the subcommittee, Rep. Andy Harris, a Maryland Republican, to allow Fox to film despite the fact that he didn’t have the proper media credentials.
“As it is, the filming was occurring; it was being released to the outside world by an in-house camera,” the congressman said. “So there was like no exchange of secret information that would occur here.”
“To me it was a classic example of censorship by viewpoint, and that concerns me because the tone or at least the purpose of the hearing was to provide transparency. And Liz, with that transparency, the overall effort here, I find it ironic that in the attempts to be transparent, in the attempt to share with the public, Josh was denied.”
Fox, who is perhaps best known for his controversial Oscar-nominated documentary on hydrofracking, has said he tried to get permission from Harris’ office to film the hearing long before its scheduled date, but never got a response.
After he was arrested, taken away in handcuffs and subsequently charged with unlawful entry, Fox said he believes he’s being “blacklisted off the Hill.”
The purpose of the hearing was to review the EPA’s investigation into groundwater contamination in Pavillion, Wyo., which was potentially caused by hydraulic fracturing.
Tonko has said the whole event seemed to be set up to attack the EPA, but this is the first time I’ve heard him use the “c” word to describe what happened to Fox.
Fox has been involved in the anti-fracking movement here in New York. He owns property in the Delaware River basin, which has been a focus in the fracking debate, and also maintains a residence in Brooklyn.
Fox testified at a fracking hearing held by Sen. Greg Ball and also toured northern Pennsylvania last summer with the Republican lawmaker as he filmed footage for the sequel to his first documentary, “Gasland 2.”
This morning, Fox is scheduled to be a guest on “The Capitol Pressroom” with Susan Arbetter. You can listen live here.
GOP Support For Rep. Israel’s Tea Party Opponent
Feb 2nd - 4:04 pm
A reader forwarded this invite for a fundraiser that took place in Washington, D.C. yesterday to support Stephen Labate, a Tea Party backed Republican who’s running against DCCC Chairman/Rep. Steve Israel in Long Island’s 2nd Congressional District.
The breakfast event at the Chamber of Commerce building was fairly modest, asking $500 from PACs and $250 from individuals to attend.
What surprised this (Democratic) reader was the names of the headliners: U.S. Sen. Lindsay Graham, a South Carolina Republican; and three members of NY’s own GOP House delegation: Reps. Nan Hayworth, Michael Grimm and Bob Turner.
“Interesting that Steve LaBate is getting so much institutional support,” the reader wrote. “Last election Israel handily beat Sean Hannity protege John Gomez.”
Actually, Labate tried running in 2010, too, but ended up withdrawing from the race to make room for Gomez. Now, apparently, he wants to take another shot at Israel, whose profile has risen considerably since then, and this time around he has institutional support.
Labate had about $50,000 on hand at the end of December, 2001 and $3,000 worth of debt. Israel had $587,637 on hand and no debt, but his main focus has been on raising cash for the DCCC- a task at which he has excelled.
Ex-Indy Activist Urges Ethics Investigation Of Grimm (Updated)
Jan 30th - 8:17 am
FORMER Independence Party activist Frank Morano (a fellow early riser) forwarded a complaint he sent to the leaders of the house Ethics Committee urging an investigation into what he called Rep. Michael Grimm’s “pattern of unethical behavior.”
UPDATE: Morano reminds me he’s no longer a member of any party. I forgot that he had a falling out with state Independence Party Chairman Frank MacKay in the summer 2010 and departed the fold.
Topping Morano’s list of concerns about the Staten Island Republican are allegations in this weekend’s NYT that the congressman engaged in illegal fundraising activities with the assistance of a top aide to Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto.
The aide, Israeli citizen Ofer Biton, is under investigation by the FBI and federal prosecutors in Brooklyn over accusations that he embezzled millions of dollars from the rabbi’s congregation.
Grimm has strongly rejected the NYT report, calling it “completely false,” “disappointing,” and full of “unsubstantiated accusations.”
Grimm’s fundraising is not all that bothers Morano.
He also accused the congressman of misusing official resources, noting he closed his district office and gave staffers off on Black Friday, which is not a federal holiday, and citing anecdotal reports of Grimm’s use of government staffers to do his political work and personal errands.
Morano offered no proof of those allegations, and much of what he’s asking the committee to look into seems pretty thin.
But he did back up suggestions that Grimm is violating a prohibition on giving gifts to lobbyists by citing a Staten Island Advance story about the congressman giving a Cartier watch to former Staten Island BP Guy Molinari, a retired lobbyist who is closely related to two currently registered lobbyists.
Molinari and Grimm are very close, and the former BP served as the congressman’s chief political strategist during his successful 2010 campaign.
“A Cartier watch could be valued anywhere between $5,000 and $25,000,” Morano wrote. “How did Grimm have the means to procure this watch when he didn’t have a job for a year before the election? This question merits new examination in light of all the cash Grimm is alleged to have been soliciting and receiving.”
“I’m not trying to nitpick. I understand that Molinari and Grimm are particularly close personally and politically and they have a pre-existing relationship, but many of the lobbyists that are prohibited from giving gifts to House members are no doubt close to them as well.”
After Democrat Mark Murphy announced his campaign to challenge Grimm this fall, Morano reached out to Republican-turned-Democrat John Gangemi, a former at-large NYC councilman and attorney who hails from the Brooklyn portion of the largely Staten Island district, and asked him to consider a run in NY-13, too.
Wright Hires Darrison
Jan 27th - 2:41 pm
This actually popped up in my in-box yesterday, but I was up to my eyeballs in redistricting maps and unable to get to it…Assemblyman Keith Wright has signed on with fundraiser Cindy Darrison for the 2012 election cycle.
I received an email from Darrison announcing a fundraiser for Wright 2012 at the Victory Cafe in Albany next Monday night (which is, for the record, a legislative session night; reformers have been pushing for years to ban political fundraisers from being held on session nights, but to no avail).
Wright is one of a number of Manhattan Democrats jockeying for position in case Rep. Charlie Rangel might finally decide to retire. (Not this year, so far, but there’s time yet; let’s see what his district looks like when LATFOR gets done with it).
As chairman of the Manhattan Democratic Party, he’s also believed to have something of a leg up – particularly if Rangel retires mid-term, sparking a special election in which the party leaders, not the voters, would select the nominee. There is some concern among Bronx Democrats that they’ll end up getting the short end of the stick in the redistricting process, providing key voters to keep NY-15 a “black” district, but not getting a commensurate say in the district’s weighted vote.
Darrison told me in an email yesterday that Wright is focused on his re-election campaign. “We are thrilled to be working with Keith,” she said. “He’s just so solid!”
Wright hasn’t done much fundraising to speak of lately. According to his Jan. 15 filing with the state Board of Elections, he raised nothing over the past six months and has $49,642 on hand. He has started a “Wright 2012″ campaign committee, but so far it hasn’t filed any reports.
Darrison is a veteran Democratic fundraiser. Her past client list includes former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, former Gov. David Paterson and Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Her current list includes Sen. Dan Squadron, a Brooklyn Democrat who has $134,944 in an unspecified campaign committee (he might run for citywide office in NYC in 2013), and $125,875 in his Senate account.
Darrison is also working with Assemblyman Micah Kellner, an Upper East Side Democrat who has $166,513 on hand in his campaign committee as of Jan. 15.
Hedging In NY-22
Jan 27th - 1:36 pm
Ever since Rep. Maurice Hinchey’s announcement last week that he will not seek re-election this fall, the conventional wisdom has been that his district, NY-22, will likely be obliterated when LATFOR turns its attention to redrawing the House lines.
Hinchey’s district, which stretches from the Hudson Valley through the Southern Tier to Ithaca, was gerrymandered specifically to protect a Democrat. Nevertheless, Hinchey had a tough go of it in 2010 when the Republicans pretty much threw everything they had at him. He was re-elected, but emerged from the fight with his GOP challenger George Phillips, who was making his second attempt to unseat the cognressman, fairly bruised. (Admittedly, some of those wounds were self-inflicted).
Before Hinchey’s retirement announcement, it looked like two freshmen Central New York Republicans – Ann Marie Buerkle and Richard Hanna – would likely end up in a primary battle when state lawmakers finished redrawing the House lines and removing two seats – a move made necessary by New York’s slow population growth as compared to other states.
But Hinchey’s departure has changed the calculus. LATFOR Co-Chairs Jack McEneny and Mike Nozzolio both told me on CapTon last night that they will immediately be returning to work on the House lines after releasing the Senate and Assembly lines last week, and should have a finished product sometime in mid-February.
In the meantime, the two Republicans who had already announced their intention to challenge Hinchey – Phillips and Tom Engel, a NYC attorney and part-time Ulster County resident – are in limbo until LATFOR figures out its next move.
In recognition of that, Engel sent out this email message last night to some 20,000 Republican and Conservative activists. It is notably NOT a fundraising appeal, but rather a just-in-case organizing tool so Engel can, as he puts it, “be ready to take on whomever and whatever the Democrats have to throw at us.”
“At this point…it is not appropriate, I feel, to ask for additional investment in my campaign – at least until we know for certain what form the district will take,” wrote Engel, who said he has already “inevsted six figures of my own money” into the campaign.
Doheny’s 4th Q Total: $306K (Updated)
Jan 26th - 2:37 pm
Republican NY-23 hopeful Matt Doheny, who officially launched his latest congressional bid late last September, has raked in an impressive $306,105 over the past three months, according to a copy of his latest FEC filing.
At the end of the third quarter, Doheny’s target, Democratic Rep. Bill Owens, had raised $167,099 and had $393,465 on hand, while Doheny had done no fundraising to speak of.
At the time, the Republican businessman pledged to quickly ramp up his operation, noting he had only recently officially joined the NY-23 fray. He tapped 2010 state comptroller candidate and hedge fund manager Harry Wilson to head up his fundraising effort.
Wilson has done a good job. Doheny has kept his burn rate low, spending just $23,176, and now has $316,132 on hand. Owens’ numbers are not yet available, nor is the report for Doheny’s GOP rival, Kellie Greene.
Some notable Doheny donors: NY-1 GOP hopeful Randy Altschuler ($5,000), NYS GOP Chairman Ed Cox ($1,000), Anthony Carbonetti, a longtime aide to Rudy Giuliani, ($1,000), former Rep. Bill Paxon ($1,000).
In 2010, Doheny dumped a lot of his own money into his campaign, enabling him to keep pace with Owens’ fundraising. So far, he has not done so this year. But he hasn’t ruled out that possibility, either.
Remember: We don’t know what the NY-23 lines will look like after the Legislature gets done with them. The Assembly and Senate lines are just out today, after a considerable delay, and last we checked, LATFOR hadn’t even started on the House lines yet.
Doheny is making his second attempt at unseating Owens after losing to him in 2010. He won a GOP primary that year, defeating Doug Hoffman, who became a Tea Party darling after forcing moderate then-Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava out of the 2009 special election for NY-23, but too late to bump her from the ballot. As a result, NY-23, a traditional GOP stronghold, has remained in Democratic hands ever since.
UPDATE: From Doheny spokesman Jude Seymour:
“I’ll note two things: You’ll be hard pressed to find many House candidates that post better numbers for the quarter than these. And Matt did almost all of his fundraising after Nov. 30 – so he it got done in a month’s time.”
NYC GOP Sticks Close To Home For Lincoln Day Dinner
Jan 23rd - 3:02 pm
You could argue the Manhattan GOP got burned twice last year with its Lincoln Day Dinner.
First Donald Trump agreed to headline the event, which elevated the annual get-together considerably, since the real estate mogul was deep into his flirtation with a potential White House run.
The Donald backed out of headlining the dinner after he decided to stick with reality TV and leave presidential politics to the (so-called) professionals.
Manhattan GOP Chairman Dan Isaacs, who said Trump had put the party in an “awkward position,” secured Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who had the time had not yet announced his own White House bid, as a replacement on June 14.
Two months later – almost to the day – Perry announced his national campaign in South Carolina. He was the flavor of the month for a while, but his verbal gaffes – what was that third federal agency he wanted to abolish again? – and poor showing in the Iowa caucuses caused him to drop his bid last week and throw his support behind former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
That was a disappointment to Isaacs, a Perry supporter who said he had offered to assist the erstwhile campaign with fundraising and organizing but was rebuffed.
For this year’s Lincoln Day Dinner, which will be held on Feb. 23, Isaacs is playing it safe and sticking closer to home. Here’s the “save the date” email he sent out over the weekend:
“Last year New York County went ‘national’ with Governor Rick Perry as the Honored Guest at our Lincoln Day Dinner. However, as Tip O’Neill once said ‘all politics is local,’ and this year we are pleased to be honoring Congressman Bob Turner, whose historic election demonstrated the resurgence of the GOP in New York City. ”
“Also being recognized are the Republican members of New York’s Congressional Delegation, whose cumulative victories in 2010 were unequaled anywhere in the United States. In addition to Congressman Turner we have also confirmed thus far Congressman Michael Grimm, Congresswoman Nan Hayworth and Congresswoman Ann Marie Burkle and hope to have the remaining members present as well.”
“This year’s dinner will be held February 23rd (yes it is actually being held in February) at the Women’s National Republican Club and it promises to be a great evening. Invitations will be going out next week. If you should have any questions, comments or suggestions please let me know.”
A Goodbye From Giffords
Jan 22nd - 2:45 pm
Rep. Gabby Giffords, the Arizona Democrat who has been recovering from a near-fatal shot in the head sustained on Jan. 8, 2011, has decided to resign this week, and will not seek re-election to the House.
Although Giffords has made remarkable strides since the assassination attempt that left six dead and 12 injured, there have been persistent questions about whether she had made sufficient progress to keep up with the rigors of the campaign trail.
The video below was posted on YouTube today. Here’s the transcript:
“Arizona is my home, always will be. A lot has happened over the past year. We cannot change that.”
“But I know on the issues we fought for we can change things for the better. Jobs, border security, veterans. We can do so much more by working together. I don’t remember much from that horrible day, but I will never forget the trust you placed in me to be your voice.”
“Thank you for your prayers and for giving me time to recover. I have more work to do on my recovery so to do what is best for Arizona I will step down this week.”
“I’m getting better. Every day, my spirit is high. I will return and we will work together for Arizona and this great country. Thank you very much.”
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who is close to Giffords, released the following statement this afternoon:
“For the past year, Gabby has shown the world the person I have always known – an extraordinary woman of fierce drive, determination and courage.”
“Gabby made the right decision for her and her family, but this is just the beginning of the next chapter of her story.”
“I know that Gabby will find other ways to fulfill her calling of public service and continue to lead and inspire the nation. I feel blessed to call Gabby Giffords a dear friend and look forward to supporting her in whatever she decides to do next.”
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