MINEOLA, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — Nassau County Executive Laura Curran is accused of spending thousands in taxpayer dollars to send out a mailer advertising early voting sites, just weeks after signing a bill to crack down on that very practice.
The new law bans county elected officials from sending out government mailings within 45 days of a general election. However, there are some exemptions, including a notice relating to a county service.
Still, just days before Curran signed the bill into law, her office sent out a mailer to 350,000 households telling them where they can vote early.
Curran’s name was at the top of the flyer and her GOP opponent, Bruce Blakeman, claims the flyer was a campaign antic.
“Even if there was no law, you simply don't put out a piece of mail, at taxpayer expense, to urge people to vote and put your name on it, three weeks before the election,” he told WCBS 880. “That is using taxpayer dollars for your campaign. She needs to pay that money back to the taxpayers.”
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He said it cost over $80,000 to send out the flyers to the households.
In a statement, Curran – a Democrat – said voter education is fundamental to democracy.
“The Legislative Majority and other elected officials should be encouraging residents to vote instead of using political gimmicks that look to suppress participation,” a spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that the same mailers were sent out last year to every household, regardless of political affiliation.
Curran’s campaign went on to also accuse Blakeman of misusing taxpayer dollars.
“This attack is rich coming from the legislative majority when their candidate Bruce Blakeman is accused of abusing taxpayer funded dollars and staff by forcing them to chauffer him around New York City off the clock and unpaid,” the campaign said in a statement.
According to a report from City and State NY, two former staffers accused Blakeman of using them as his personal chauffeurs when he was still a council member in 2017. His campaign said that after an investigation, the claims were "found to be without merit or credibility."