New layer of dirt: pol

BLAZ: WE HAVE HIGHER STANDARDS Hits funds in upstate ’14 race

THET HEAD of the Monroe CountyC Republican Party asked theth state Board of Elections to investigatev Democrats’ fund-raisingin in 2014 for then-state Sen. TedT O’Brien’s reelectionti bid.

As a probe swirls a around Mayor de B Blasio’s fund-raising e efforts for other Sena ate Democrats, GOP c chairman Bill Reilic ch (inset, above) said h he sees a similar pattern of big bucks conntributions being funnneled through the e local Democratic c Party.

In a letter to boardd Wednesday, he e asked for a probe e into the race for a disstrict that covers s Rochester and its ts suburbs. O’Brien n (inset, below) endedd up losing his seat to Sen. Richard Funke, a Republican.

“It’s definitely money laundering,” Reilich said. “They are trying to circumvent campaign limits.”

Reilich cited three contributions from city-based unions he thinks are suspect: a $100,000 donation from CWA District 1’s political action committee, a $100,000 donation from the United Federation of Teachers’ PAC, and $25,000 from building workers union 32BJ’s PAC.

The donations were all made in October 2014. Over roughly the same period, the Monroe County Democrats made three transfers, totaling $218,663, to O’Brien’s campaign.

“I’ve been chairman for eight years and I’ve never gotten a check of $25,000 or more,” Reilich said.

The Monroe County Democratic Committee did not res spond to calls for comm ment.

“We are aware of rep ports about an investig gation concerning 2 2014 political activit ties and would coopera ate with any formal inq quiry,” said 32BJ s spokeswoman Rachel C Cohen.

CWA’s Robert Mast ter said all “contribut tions were made in s strict accordance with t the law.” The UFT s said only that its donat tion was a matter of p public record.

As the scandal s swirls, Blair Horner of t the New York Public I Interest Research Group said the probe would likely have a “chilling effect” on campaign fund-raising — which will be especially strong for the Democrats, but affect all candidates.

“The donor class is not going to want to get caught up in this,” Horner said. “The fact that the feds are watching, it has to have a chilling effect.”

Scott Reif, a spokesman for the Senate Republicans, scoffed at the notion that the scandal will impact the GOP’s efforts.

“This episode underscores the danger of turning our entire state government over to Mayor de Blasio and the New York City Democrats,” Reif said.