Paul Kirby
04/27/23
(Daily Freeman) A liberal political action committee has filed a federal complaint alleging that U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro violated campaign finance law. End Citizens United filed the complaint against the former Dutchess County Executive with the Federal Elections Commission. The complaint centers on what the group says was the illegal transfer of funds and resources from statewide fundraising committees to federal fundraising committees. Molinaro’s campaign advisor, Dave Catalfamo, described the complaint as a partisan attack. Molinaro, R-Red Hook, represents the 19th Congressional District. “This is a baseless partisan attack from a socialist group,” Catalfamo said in a statement. “It is clearly designed to distract from Congressman Molinaro’s successful 100-Day Report, in which he announced he is fulfilling campaign promises and delivering bipartisan results.” “Bawadden Sayed and the rest of the socialist activists are free to take up their baseless complaint with the FEC,” the statement said. Sayed is the deputy communications director for End Citizens United, a PAC that has backed Democrats and seeks to end “unlimited and undisclosed money in politics.” The complaint said Molinaro, who served as the Dutchess County executive prior to being elected to Congress, transferred $2,000 from his state committee to his congressional committee, which is “blatantly illegal.” One thousand dollars was reported as such on his FEC report, and another $1,000 of which was reported on his state committee reports as a contribution to his congressional committee but was reported on his FEC reports as a personal contribution, the complaint said… “It’s a basic principle that it’s illegal to use money from statewide campaigns for federal races,” said ECU President Tiffany Muller in a statement. “The law is intended to prevent corruption and undue influence over our leaders.” Two other Republican lawmakers — U.S. Reps. Anthony D’Esposito of New York’s Fourth Congressional District and Nick LaLota of the first, both in Long Island — are named in the complaint. “These aren’t one-off mistakes; they appear to be calculated moves by all three members,” Muller said. We urge the FEC to launch investigations into these members and to hold them accountable for breaking federal law.”