‘Pay to play’ duo’s 234G to NY Dems
They’re still paying to play!
New York Democrats took in $234,600 this week from a couple tied to a no-bid, $637 million state contract that has landed Gov. Hochul in hot water over $300,000 in donations to her own campaign, records show.
“Kickback Kathy’s corruption machine knows no bounds,” state GOP Chair Nick Langworthy said about the Nov. 1 donations from Charlie and Nancy Tebele to the state Democratic Party, which is free to spend on Hochul’s election bid.
The New Jerseybased Digital Gadgets landed the controversial deal after Hochul suspended state contract-oversight rules as a new variant of the coronavirus swept New York last year, a move she maintains was necessary to keep schools open in early 2022.
Reporting by the Albany Times Union this summer highlighted how money flowed to Digital Gadgets while the Tebeles, who hosted two fundraisers for Hochul, and their family members continued giving to the embattled Democrat.
Her campaign also hired James Tebele, the undergrad son of Charlie and Nancy, as a financial associate for her campaign.
A Tebele spokesman, John Gallagher, suggested Charlie and Nancy gave to the state party to help Hochul amid tightening polls against Rep. Lee Zeldin, whom she has criticized for voting against certifying the 2020 presidential results.
“The Tebele family continues to support moderate candidates in the face of billionaire super PACs funding election deniers and politicians who threaten our democracy,” Gallagher said.
Hochul and the Tebeles have denied wrongdoing while claiming the hefty price tag for rapid tests was necessary given demand at the time.
Fellow Democrats have shown little interest in launching a probe despite GOP calls for an investigation into whether Hochul and the Tebeles colluded on a deal that saw the state pay roughly twice as much for tests as California did when it bought directly from the manufacturer, the Times Union reported.
The state Democratic Party and the Hochul campaign did not comment Thursday.