Outgoing Rep. Carolyn Maloney under investigation for soliciting 2016 Met Gala tickets from donors
By Sarah Bergeron, Special to the Newsroom
| February 26, 2017| 2:01 PM
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At the Met Gala event in New York City, (file photo/Reuters)
The New York State Assembly’s Financial Services Committee will investigate reports of two legislative actions by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan) that suggest she is soliciting campaign money for her 2016 re-election campaign, The New York Post reports.
Maloney is reportedly under investigation for allegedly soliciting tickets for donors to her event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in June, but her spokeswoman says she has not used the campaign money for that purpose.
According to the Post’s article, it was Sen. Daniel Squadron who “disclosed” that Maloney had been asking donors for campaign contributions — but the donations were not used for the purpose of campaign finance laws. He is the lead co-chairman of Assembly Republicans. “If Sen. Squadron is so sure, that is one thing,” Maloney’s spokeswoman said. “We have not solicited donors to purchase tickets.”
Maloney had also solicited donations for the event, the Post reported, but her campaign committee disallowed the donations because “none of the donors were able to secure seats for their guests.”
Maloney is one of the top Democratic Party fundraisers in the state and was elected in January as a result of the party’s strong showing in the November election at the state level.
The Assembly’s Financial Services Committee will hold hearings on the matter next week. If Maloney is found to have violated state laws, she could be charged with a misdemeanor or worse.
The New York State Campaign Finance Board could also investigate whether Maloney has violated any rules, according to the Post.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, center, arrives with her husband Michael Maloney, her campaign manager, at the Metropolitan Museum of art
At the Met Gala event in New York City, (file photo/Reuters)
New York
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, the Democratic Party’s top fundraiser and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s preferred candidate for running mate, has taken in more than $300,000 this election cycle, according to Federal Election Commission records