Party-committee loophole: state Democrats moved $10M to Hochul and Nassau GOP $3.5M to Blakeman; Hochul holds ~$19M, Blakeman $177K plus ~$1M in matching funds
Per reporting by Jon Campbell (Oct 6): party committees can accept up to $138,600 per donor, far above the $9,000 candidate limit, then transfer unlimited sums to candidates. The state Democratic committee sent Hochul $10M in late September, the largest such transfer in 12 years; the Nassau County GOP sent Blakeman $3.5M. Reported cash: Hochul about $19M; Blakeman $177,000 plus about $1M in matching funds. Super PAC spending: about $2M pro-Blakeman, largely from entities controlled by Knicks owner James Dolan, and about $3.3M pro-Hochul, including $1M from an Uber-funded group. NYPIRG's Blair Horner called the arrangement a mockery of contribution limits.