End Citizens United (ECU) filed three complaints with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against Congressmen Anthony D’Esposito, Nick LaLota, and Marc Molinaro. The complaints center on the illegal transfer of funds and resources from statewide fundraising committees to federal fundraising committees.
Click here to read coverage of the complaint in Newsday.
“It’s a basic principle that it’s illegal to use money from statewide campaigns for federal races. The law is intended to prevent corruption and undue influence over our leaders. These aren’t one-off mistakes; they appear to be calculated moves by all three members. We urge the FEC to launch investigations into these members and to hold them accountable for breaking federal law,” said ECU President Tiffany Muller.
D’Esposito violation:
D’Esposito, who was on the Hempstead town council, spent nearly $100,000 on a golf fundraiser that was used to get attendees “all fired up for the November elections where [they] w[ould] elect Anthony D’Esposito to represent [them] in Washington D.C.” He also transferred $1,000 from his state committee to his congressional campaign, which is blatantly illegal. D’Esposito also used his state committee to open a PO box in Washington, DC and pay for print ads, online ads, cell phones, office rent, fundraising, and volunteer expenses after declaring his congressional run. Additionally, D’Esposito accepted nearly $45,000 in corporate contributions, which are impermissible on federal campaigns, through his state committee after announcing his congressional campaign.
LaLota violation:
LaLota had a state senate campaign committee open in New York prior to running for Congress. Two days after filing a statement of candidacy for Congress, LaLota transferred $1,000 from his state committee to his congressional campaign, which is blatantly illegal. Additionally, though he was not a candidate in any race at the time, he made $525 in payments for “campaign literature” and “campaign mailings” in May and July 2021 to a consultant that his congressional campaign later used.
Molinaro violation:
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. $1,000 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. His state committee also paid $2,600 for “campaign literature” and “print ads” after he announced his congressional run.
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