$\"Republican$ <\/p>\n

MO\u2019 MONEY: <\/b>Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman has received dozens of contributions surpassing the legal limit in recent months.<\/p>\n

Blakeman has yet to refund roughly $360,000 to donors who have given to him above the cap, as POLITICO first reported on Monday<\/a>. Gubernatorial candidates are allowed to raise $9,000 from individuals for each election \u2014 so $18,000 if they have both a primary and a general. Blakeman dodged a June election, so he\u2019s required to give back any money he\u2019s raised above $9,000.<\/p>\n

Many of the excess contributions came early in the election cycle. Knicks owner James Dolan, for example, gave $18,000 on Jan. 20, before it was known whether there would be a primary.<\/p>\n

But there have been at least 40 donations above the $9,000 limit that have come in since the Board of Elections certified the primary ballot on May 13, according to Blakeman\u2019s disclosure reports.<\/p>\n

Many of those came well past the primary. An Eric Sternberg who used a Nassau County PO Box, for example, gave Blakeman $15,000 in the spring. A donor with the same name who used a nearby home address gave $18,000 on Aug. 19; three more $5,000 checks from those Eric Sternbergs were reported on Sept. 10.<\/p>\n

In addition to those 40 donations, there are several individuals who have gone over the limit by making multiple contributions. Former Republican Rep. Nan Hayworth, for example, gave $5,205.08 on May 22, then the same amount on July 31, bringing her total to $10,410.16 for the election cycle.<\/p>\n

The unusual figure appears to arise from another way the Blakeman campaign is going past the $9,000 cap. His donation page asks people to make a supplemental contribution to cover processing fees \u2014 so somebody giving $5,000 gets a request to give an additional $205.08.<\/p>\n

Attempting to donate $9,000 brings forth a suggested donation of $9,369.14. That exact amount has been given 22 times, including by Nassau resident \u2014 and one-time Trump administration official \u2014 Anthony Scaramucci.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyone who looks at campaign finance filings will see every campaign eating the cost for processing fees,\u201d Democratic campaign finance lawyer Ben Kallos said. \u201cI admire the creativity of trying to have donors eat those costs, but you can\u2019t go over the limit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blue Light News asked the Blakeman campaign about the refunds it owes on Monday. It replied on Tuesday without addressing the issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo many New Yorkers opened their wallets to support Bruce Blakeman that the state\u2019s antiquated campaign finance system couldn\u2019t keep up,\u201d spokesperson Madison Spanodemos said. \u201cThe Board of Elections required the campaign to split its most recent finance report into multiple files since it included so much data, causing some contributions to appear multiple times.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Public Campaign Finance Board said it\u2019s not to blame.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Blakeman\u2019s campaign is the only filer that experienced this issue,\u201d Democratic co-director Brian Keegan said. \u201cThis is a user error, not a system error.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spanodemos did not respond to questions about the large donations or what the committee\u2019s actual war chest is. If every potential duplicate is removed from Blakeman’s filing, his contribution total would fall by $292,000. That would lower his balance to a $114,000 deficit, even before accounting for the $360,000 in refunds he owes.<\/p>\n

A shift like that wouldn\u2019t be unprecedented. Blakeman\u2019s previous report, submitted on July 15, showed he had $4.7 million in the bank. An amended version submitted on July 22 changed his balance to $6.1 million. Yet another amendment on Aug. 13 said that his war chest in mid-July had actually been $4.3 million.<\/p>\n

Gov. Kathy Hochul has recently received a handful of contributions over the limit as well. But as has been the norm for gubernatorial candidates, her committee has returned surpluses: The New York State Council of Machinists, for example, gave $10,000 on Sept. 15 and got $1,000 back on Sept. 28.<\/p>\n

Hochul\u2019s campaign has started to make Blakeman\u2019s campaign finance foibles an issue in recent weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s against the law,\u201d state Democratic Committee Chair Jay Jacobs said of the Republican\u2019s large contributions. \u201cHe\u2019s desperate for money, and desperate people do desperate things. And I think to him, it\u2019s more important he try to get elected than comply with the law.\u201d \u2014 Bill Mahoney<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

ONE WEEK AWAY:<\/b> Mayor Zohran Mamdani<\/b>\u2019s administration is pursuing a bold agenda to tame the city\u2019s affordability crisis \u2014 making New York City a testing ground for progressives across the country. Join Blue Light News\u2019s New York Outlook: Affordability, Industry & The Economy<\/b> in NYC on Oct. 14 for live conversations about the business and policy decisions being made today that will shape the city\u2019s economic future. The lineup includes NYC Comptroller Mark Levine<\/b>, New York City Economic Development Corp. CEO Anthony Shorris<\/b>, New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin<\/b>, Partnership for NYC CEO Steven Fulop<\/b>, Citizens Budget Commission President Andrew Rein<\/b>, Charles H. Revson Foundation President Maria Torres-Springer<\/b>, and more. Register now to attend in person or watch the livestream<\/i><\/b><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n

FROM CITY HALL<\/h3>\n
$\"Mayor$ <\/p>\n
MAMDANI\u2019S OCT. 7 MESSAGE: <\/b>Mamdani marked the third anniversary of Hamas\u2019 Oct. 7, 2023 attack by condemning the \u201chorrific war crimes\u201d that took place in Israel that day \u2014 and then proceeded to blast the American ally for the military campaign it launched in response.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn that day, Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251 others. We grieve alongside our many friends and neighbors who still carry that unthinkable loss,\u201d he said in a written statement this morning.<\/p>\n
He then pivoted: \u201cThe suffering did not begin nor end that day. It instead continued through the Israeli government\u2019s devastating, ongoing genocide in Gaza, in which it has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians \u2014 including more than 21,000 children \u2026 Many New Yorkers are reckoning with this unbearable grief, and we mourn alongside them \u2014 all while knowing that our tax dollars fund these war crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mamdani\u2019s missive \u2014 which he also posted on X<\/a>, where it had garnered nearly 11 million views as of early this afternoon \u2014 was consistent with how he has for years messaged regarding the events on and after Oct. 7. What\u2019s remarkable is that he did it as mayor on a somber day \u2014 the kind of occasion for which elected officials typically deploy restraint. Today marked his first time commemorating the anniversary as mayor of New York City, home to the largest Jewish community outside Israel, swaths of which believe Mamdani has fomented antisemitism by accusing the country of commiting a genocide in Gaza, a charge Israeli leaders vehemently deny.<\/p>\n
Backlash to the mayor\u2019s statement was swift.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is like turning September 11 into a day of mourning for al-Qaeda terrorists,\u201d Danny Danon, Israel\u2019s ambassador to the United Nations, wrote on X<\/a> in response to Mamdani\u2019s comments. \u201cWe will not let this happen. We will remember those who were murdered, and we will never forget who was behind this massacre.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rep. Dan Goldman, a fellow Democrat, called it a \u201creprehensible statement.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the guise of \u2018grieving\u2019 with those mourning that day, Mayor Mamdani asserts as fact hotly disputed allegations that he knows full well will offend and further upset those same people he pretends to grieve with,\u201d Goldman wrote on X<\/a>. \u201cOn this day of all days, the Mayor of the city with the largest Jewish population outside of Israel embraces extreme activism instead of balanced leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Mamdani declined to respond to such criticisms. The mayor is scheduled to attend an Oct. 7 remembrance vigil this evening.<\/p>\n
Hochul commemorated the anniversary by ordering the Israeli flag be hoisted on top of the Capitol in Albany. She also ordered that flags be flown at half mast at all state government buildings across New York.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to fathom that it has been three years since the October 7 Hamas massacre. Three years since the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust,\u201d the governor said in a statement. \u201cThe pain of that dark day has not faded. But neither has the strength, resilience and enduring hope of the Jewish people.\u201d \u2014 Chris Sommerfeldt<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
From the Capitol<\/h3>\n
$\"State$ <\/p>\n
FEDERAL TAX CREDIT UNDER FIRE: <\/b>New York\u2019s legislative leaders are urging Hochul to reject a GOP-backed federal tax credit scholarship program, setting up a potential clash over the hot-button issue.<\/p>\n
The Treasury Department released a pair of rules<\/a> for the initiative \u2014 which was included in President Trump\u2019s sweeping 2025 tax-and-spending package \u2014 last week. The program would give donors to nonprofits that support educational expenses a dollar-for-dollar tax credit of up to $1,700 annually. Married taxpayers filing jointly could receive a credit of up to $3,400.<\/p>\n
In a statement Wednesday, state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said the regulations would undercut the state\u2019s ability to establish \u201cmeaningful guardrails,\u201d leaving New York with little control over which schools and expenses qualify or how the funding is used. She also said it would allow the money to potentially flow to schools outside the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am apprehensive about this federal proposal and have serious reservations about the potential impact it could have on public schools across New York State,\u201d Stewart-Cousins said. \u201cNew York should not opt in to this program.\u201d<\/p>\n
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie also said Tuesday that his chamber will prioritize ensuring public schools are fully funded.<\/p>\n
\u201cPublic dollars should support public schools that serve all children and are accountable to the taxpayers who fund them,\u201d Heastie said in a statement. \u201cNew York should opt out of the federal voucher program and continue investing in the public schools that educate the overwhelming majority of our children.\u201d<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s and state\u2019s teachers unions, with which the Legislature is closely aligned, have also urged Hochul to reject the program<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Spokespeople for the governor did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the opposition of legislative leaders.<\/p>\n
But Hochul has signaled support for the scholarship program.<\/p>\n
Ahead of the release of the regulations, her office said the credits could expand educational opportunities for public and private school students statewide \u201cwithout diverting resources from public schools or state and local budgets.\u201d The governor\u2019s team also said public schools could benefit from the program. \u2014 Madina Tour\u00e9<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL<\/h3>\n
$\"A$ <\/p>\n
TAKING THE STAGE: <\/b>A debate is on the books in the battleground race between Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi and his Republican challenger, former Assemblymember Mike LiPetri.<\/p>\n
The debate, hosted by News 12, will air on Oct. 20. The station said<\/a> that\u2019s the only Long Island congressional debate it\u2019s hosting after Democratic Rep. Laura Gillen and Chris Gallant, Republican Rep. Nick LaLota\u2019s Democratic challenger, declined News 12\u2019s invite for their respective races. Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino\u2019s campaign did not respond to its invite, the station said.<\/p>\n
Suozzi defeated LiPetri by 4 points in 2024. National Republicans are pouring millions into the seat in the final stretch of the race with the hope of flipping it this year. \u2014 Madison Fernandez<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
POLL POSITION<\/b>: Hochul leads Republican foe Bruce Blakeman by 11 points in a Marist University survey<\/a> released this morning.<\/p>\n
Hochul, seeking a second full term, draws 53% in the poll; Blakeman stands at 42%. Voters by a 55% to 42% margin plan to support the Democratic congressional candidate, the survey found.<\/p>\n
The poll of 1,361 likely voters was conducted from Oct. 1 to Oct. 4. It has a 3.6 percentage point margin of error. \u2014<\/i><\/b> Nick Reisman<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
IN OTHER NEWS<\/h3>\n\u2014 GROCERY BRANDING: <\/b>Branding for Mamdani\u2019s signature city-run grocery stores will be handled by the same Brooklyn design firm behind trendy products like Graza olive oil and Yellowbird hot sauce. (New York Magazine<\/a>)<\/p>\n
\u2014 GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE:<\/b> New York City plans to spend nearly $9 million on local organizations providing gender-affirming care to minors, after two major hospital systems in the city struck deals with the Trump administration to stop providing such care. (Gothamist<\/a>)<\/p>\n
\u2014 MAKE POLITICS SEXY AGAIN:<\/b> Long Island Democratic congressional candidate Chris Gallant is leaning into sexiness, after the New York Post revealed last month he had appeared in bondage photos more than a decade ago. (The New York Times<\/a>)<\/p>\n
Missed this morning\u2019s New York Playbook? We forgive you. <\/b>Read it here<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MO\u2019 MONEY: Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman has received dozens of contributions surpassing the legal limit in recent months. Blakeman has yet to refund roughly $360,000 to donors who have given to him above the cap, as Blue Light News first reported on Monday. Gubernatorial candidates are allowed to raise $9,000 from individuals for each election \u2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":27440,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27439"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27439\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}