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Steve Levy
Lazio’s Delay Tactics
Apr 16th - 3:00 pm
Rather predictably, state Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs released a statement earlier today in which he slammed GOP gubernatorial hopefuls Steve Levy and Rick Lazio for failing to release their 2009 tax returns.
“For two guys who like to talk the talk about transparency, they aren’t walking the walk,” Jacobs said. “New Yorkers have had it with secrets in Albany. They want transparency and honesty. If Lazio and Levy are truly committed to transparency and reform, they should stop playing hide and seek with their taxes and make their contents public.”
Levy, like AG Andrew Cuomo, has filed for an extension on his taxes. Unlike the AG, however, he did not provide an estimated summary of how much he earned last year. (Carl Paladino also filed for an extension, but no one seems to be taking him very seriously since the raunchy e-mail scandal relegated him to the sidelines). A Levy spokeswoman said the Suffolk County executive estimated he owes about $5,000 to the federal government and will release his returns when he files them “well before the primary.”
Incoming! LaValle Bats For Levy
Apr 14th - 1:45 pm
Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy’s campaign has deployed his hometown county GOP chairman, John Jay LaValle, to push back against shots fired over the past 24 hours by state Democratic Party Executive Director Charlie King and “boss” (as per Team Levy) Jay Jacobs.
LaValle accused Jacobs, who is also the Nassau County Democratic chairman, of presiding over “one of the worst abusers in the history pay-to-play during the Suozzi administration; a simple review of his filings would prove this.” (No supporting documentation was provided).
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Charlie King’s First Salvo
Apr 14th - 12:13 pm
Newly-minted state Democratic Party Executive Director Charlie King has released his first official hit on the Republicans, slamming state GOP Chairman Ed Cox as he is meeting behind closed doors with RNC Chairman Michael Steele.
In his inaugural rapid-response press release, King seeks to capitalize on the purported rift between Cox and Steele over the state chairman’s backing of Democrat-turned-Republican Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy for governor.
Steele and Cox are meeting this very moment at an undisclosed location in Manhattan.
“Michael Steele has a tough choice today when he plays ‘Let’s Make a Deal’ with Ed Cox,” King said.
“Behind door number 1, he’s got Steve Levy who was the point man for pay-to-play politics in Suffolk County and personally handed out county contracts to his convicted felon friends. And behind door number 2, he’s got Rick “Wall Street” Lazio who was the big banks’ point man in Washington to get big bailouts and he and his banker buddies big bonuses. Not exactly the prizes Steele was hoping for.”
The release also includes some helpful back-up for King’s statements, including reports on Levy’s association with Ethan Ellner, whose title company received $85,000 worth of county business even though he is an ex-con, and Lazio’s Wall Street bonus and efforts to fight consumer protections while he was a lobbyist at JP Morgan.
Cuomo’s Attack Dog
Apr 13th - 3:53 pm
Newly-minted state Democratic Party Executive Director Charlie King said today the organization will act as a “truth squad” for the 2010 ticket, pushing back on the Republicans when they “distort, micharacterize or talk in code.”
King settled quickly into his new role, unleashing on Rick Lazio (for accepting a Wall Street bonus), Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy (for “pay-to-play”), Carl Paladino (’nuff said), and even state GOP Chairman Ed Cox (for giving Levy “a pass” for jokes about black people and “anchor babies,” while taking Paladino to task).
In a brief interview this afternoon, I asked King if he is going to be serving as presumptive Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Cuomo’s attack dog, essentially buying the AG more time before he has to announce his candidacy and start throwing bombs himself.
” What I’m going to do is when Republicans decide to distort, mischaracterize or talk in code, I’m not going to be shy about pointing that out or having the state party point that out,” King responded. “The party gets to take on the attack dog position, OK you can say that.”
While stressing that his arrival at the party does not herald the imminent departure of Chairman Jay Jacobs, who was installed by Gov. David Paterson, King did say more changes are in the offing. He plans to establish a “full-fledged coordinated campaign,” which will entail hiring a party spokesperson, political director and field operation manager, among others.
Lazio Campaign Hits Levy On ‘Felon Friend’
Apr 13th - 9:57 am
Rick Lazio’s campaign spokesman is slamming Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy for his association with ex-con Ethan Ellner, who, as Newsday reports today, landed $85,000 worth of county business thanks to Levy’s recommendation.
“Steve Levy has become an embarrassment. It’s time for him to quietly drop out and go back to being a Democrat,” Barney Keller said in a statement.
As recently as last week, Levy said he had no involvement with awarding title work for the county. But he did an about-face when confronted by Newsday, which writes:
“Levy said he had recommended that Ellner, of Plainview, be hired in 2005 because he was impressed by Ellner’s work. Business records most recently show Ellner as president of a company called Suburban Abstract. Prior to 2007, records are unclear as to the position he held at the company.”
Suffolk County began awarding work to Suburban Abstract in 2005 – one year after Levy took office. Ellner had already done time on federal tax evasion charges at that point, lost his law license and gotten it back again and also rented an apartment in a house that Levy owned and lived in during a separation from his wife, Colleen.
Ellner and Levy met at St. John’s University Law School. Levy campaign spokesman Josh Hills told me the two men were merely “friends” who maintained intermittent contact. Newsday spoke to Ellner’s ex-wife, Stacy, who said Levy served as an usher at her wedding.
Q Poll: Lazio Leads GOP Field, Cuomo Beats Everyone
Apr 13th - 7:45 am
Today’s Q poll finds Rick Lazio with a double-digit lead over both his GOP primary opponents, but yet-unannounced Democratic contender, AG Andrew Cuomo, handily defeats all three of his would-be Republican opponents.
Among registered Republicans, of whom 411 were questioned for this poll, Lazio leads Suffolk County Steve Levy and Buffalo businessman Carl Paladino 34, 11, 11, respectively. The only trouble for Lazio is the fact that 40 percent of respondents said they don’t know who they support, which means there’s considerable room for movement here.
Cuomo’s behind-the-curtain approach to the media, as detailed in today’s Times, isn’t hurting his standing with New York voters. His job approval rating is 74-14, and this is the ninth month in a row the AG has enjoyed popularity scores of 70 or above.
Cuomo leads all three of the GOP hopefuls by at least 2-1; (55-26 over Lazio, 60-24 over Paladino, and 57-24 over Levy). That hasn’t changed much since the last Q poll in February, although neither Levy (who was still a Democat at the time) nor Paladino (who hadn’t announced yet) were included in that line-up.
Cuomo has lost a little ground to Lazio since December 2009, when the Q poll showed the hypothetical head-to-head match-up at 62-22.
But, as Q pollster Mickey Carroll wisely noted, the campaign has only just begun. Things could change considerably once Cuomo formally enters the fray and starts engaging (assuming he bothers to) his Republican opponents.
“Who are those guys? Steve Levy and Carl Paladino don’t register at this stage,” Carroll said. “But neither of them is a shrinking violet. As they start to make noise, we’ll see if they can cut into Rick Lazio’s lead – for the questionable reward of facing Cuomo.”
Paladino Spokesman: Cuomo Behind Dirty E-mail Leak
Apr 12th - 5:00 pm
On the heels of GOP gubernatorial hopeful Carl Paladino’s claim that someone “hacked” his computer, stole hundreds of sexually and racially explicit e-mails and released them to the media comes a charge by the candidate’s spokesman that presumptive Democratic gubernatorial nominee AG Andrew Cuomo is behind the leak.
Michael Caputo alleged the Western NY Web site where Paladino’s e-mails first appeared this morning is run by a “hardcore Democrat” who has written a number of critical posts about the Buffalo businessman – including the fact that he not only used to be a Democrat himself, but also contributed campaign cash to the very Democrats he’s now attacking.
Caputo alleged that this blogger is in fact in receipt of “in depth research conducted by somebody’s oppo research team.” Asked whose team that might be, Caputo responded:
“We think it’s Cuomo and we think this is an indication of how the attorney general is going to go (in the general election). There’s no reason to think it’s (Rick) Lazio or (Suffolk County Executive Steve) Levy.”
“I mean, it’s not lost on me that a story came out on Levy today,” Caputo continued. “The people who are talking most about reform in Albany are getting attacked on smear levels today. We’re talking about reform, and they want to talk about sex with horses and S&M clubs.”
Lazio Looks To Hire Convention Staff
Apr 12th - 1:42 pm
Rick Lazio, still combatting persistent rumors that his campaign is running out of cash, is looking to staff up in advance of the state GOP convention.
Lazio campaign manager Kevin Fullington confirmed the former congressman’s operation is “looking for someone to run out floor operation, someone to come in and be the guy who makes sure no games are being played.”
In so doing, Lazio is basically conceding there will be a floor fight for the party’s gubernatorial nomination – not a great development for a candidate who once believed he would have a lock on Row B (back after his main competition, Erie County Executive Chris Collins, who suffered from a persistent case of foot-in-mouth disease and decided not to run).
The operative for whom Team Lazio is searching would basically take over the convention vote whipping operation – the calling and maintenance of committee members who have pledged their support – and also manage the proxies pledged by those people to make sure nothing goes awry after their delivery to state GOP Chairman Ed Cox, who has endorsed Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy over Lazio.
Several names have been bandied about.
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