Heastie got big-biz cash

ALBANY — State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie raked in $763,686 during the last election year, but only a single $50-donation came from a constituent of his district, a report released Thursday found.

In a time when reform-minded Dems have made a point of rebuffing corporate donors, the lower chamber leader sees no shame in bucking that trend.

The majority of the cash the Bronx Democrat raked in came from deep-pocketed donors such as supermarket magnate John Castimatidis and beer company Anheuser Busch, both of whom contributed $4,400 each, the analysis by good government group Reinvent Albany found.

“It raises questions about whether his constituents have an adequate voice in Albany because his fund-raising is so weighted towards entities and people who do not live in his district,” Reinvent Albany’s Alex Camarda told the Daily News.

Heastie, who ran unopposed in last year’s Democratic primary and beat Republican Aston Lee in the general election, defended his lack of in-district donations.

“I am a lifelong resident of my district and I have a deep connection with my constituents. I use my campaign funds to support events and residents in my community,” he said, adding that a lot of times he uses campaign money or funds raised by his PAC to assist fellow Dems in the Bronx and elsewhere.

“I have worked to elect Democrats in the Bronx, the Assembly and throughout the state — most recently for the state Senate and attorney general. I even sent money to Democrats running for governor in Florida and Georgia,” he said. “I didn’t feel like I wanted to ask my constituents to support election efforts outside of my district.”

Pauline Scott, the woman listed as being the speaker’s sole in-district donor on his campaign financial disclosure form filed with the New York State Board of Elections, could not be reached.

Reinvent Albany, part of the Fair Elections coalition advocating for a statewide public campaign financing system, noted that several other top Dems in the chamber pulled in high-dollar donations from outside their districts – and even out of state.

In all, only 16% of the campaign contributions made to Heastie and other leaders in the Assembly came from indistrict contributions during 2017-2018.

“The analysis shows that the Assembly leadership raises most of their money, most of their contributions, from special interests with business in Albany,” Camarda said.