politics
New York House Republican Accused of Self-Dealing With Former Consulting Firm
Entities connected to the congressman paid more than $720,000 to a political consulting firm he founded and later sold his stake in. The arrangement, first reported by Politico, has prompted a complaint to the Federal Election Commission from a pro-Democrat group. Watchdog organizations and Democratic campaign committees have criticized the payments.
May 11, 10:59 AM·1m read1 source
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The congressman sold his stake in the firm, Checkmate Strategies, in 2023. The payments came from the Orangetown Republican Committee, the Rockland County Republican Committee and his own campaign committee. The arrangement does not appear to violate the law.
It was first reported by Politico. Democrats seeking to flip the seat in the 2026 election have highlighted the payments as they target the district the Republican won in 2022.
York, a pro-Democrat super PAC, sent a letter last week to the Federal Election Commission asking it to investigate the congressman for possible violations of federal campaign finance laws. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which has targeted the swing district, called the congressman a “corrupt self-dealer” in a news release.
Rachael Fauss, a senior policy adviser for Reinvent Albany, a government watchdog group, argued that the arrangement should be illegal even if current laws allow it. The payments have drawn attention amid competitive town hall events in the district.
The seat is viewed as one of the most competitive Republican-held districts in New York.
