Campaign Contributions Fund Senator Connor’s New Car
March 13th, 2006
It is practically a given that incumbent legislators in New York State are going to win reelection. Despite this lack of competitiveness, or maybe because of it,donors are still forking over thousands of dollars to their elected officials’reelection campaign.
If the elections arent competitive, where is that money being spent?
In the case of Senator Martin Connorthe money is being spent on his new car.
Last week Common Cause-New York reported that since July 2003, Connor has spent $71, 837 from his campaign account on automotive expenses, including $34,582.08 on a new car. (When he was the Senate Minority Leader, Connor had the use of a state-provided car and driver, but he was recently deposed).
Senator Connor paid $11,966 out of his campaign account to park the car at a garage a block from his house and over two miles from his office and $11,763 on car insurance.
The former minority leader also spent a total of $8,558 on repairs and maintenance costs, including $5,422 out of his campaign account on repairs in July 2004 just one year from the original purchase date.
Senator Connor also spent $2,773 on miscellaneous car expenses that were paid directly to — you guessed it — Senator Connor.
The funds spent on his car amount to 35 percentof his campaign expenditures during that time. What’s interesting is that the Senator didnt even face an opponent in the general or primary election in 2004.
These expense reports raise several important questions:
1-Why are donors giving this guy money?
2-What does spending over $70,000 on a car have to do with Senator Connors re-election when he faced no opponent in 2004?
3-Why does the law allow contributions to be used in this manner?
4-What happened to the senator’s warranty?
Senator Connor is not alone in using campaign funds for expenses like a car, but as the Common Cause report does show, it is one of the more egregious uses of campaign funds. The report and Connors purchase of a car and use of donor funds for what seem to be personal use show how lax our campaign finance law is here in New York State. One couldnt buy a more fitting example of the need for reforming the campaign finance law than this.
By Doug Israel on March 13, 2006, 7:08 amIn category: Eye on Albany | 4 Comments »


March 15th, 2006 at 8:51 am
What about the car insurance? Did he actually pay for that himself?
March 16th, 2006 at 7:45 pm
Actually Connor is being primaried by Ken Diamondstone. The donors were’nt giving Connor the money so he could fight off Diamondstone in a democratic election, they were giving Connor money with the opposite in mind- supporting an elected official that they viewed as unbeatable and therefor worth “investing” in.
We need more accountability and fair, open primary elections.
March 21st, 2006 at 5:13 pm
State Assemblywoman Rhoda Jacobs (42AD) has turned contributions to her campaign into her personal piggy bank as well. This level of crookedness is regrettable. The only reform that will matter is prosecution.
Where is DA Hines?
March 31st, 2006 at 12:43 pm
Total scam that these folks are running on New Yorkers. Obviously, there is a serious problem when elected officials collect money from donors who have business pending in front of the state, or are pushing legislation, and use this money for personal items. Its time for a crackdown.