Republican lawmakers charged yesterday that a private company formed by the Working Families Party to run Democratic campaigns was designed to “game the system.”
“With this exercise, we’re seeing a new twist in how you can use or game the system for advantage, and it should be looked at,” said Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick (R-Suffolk).
“It certainly appears something is not quite kosher in how they conduct their affairs and try to skirt the law.”
Post columnist John Wilson reported yesterday that the WFP had set up a separate entity, Data & Field Services, that was available for hire to candidates advocating the same left-leaning philosophy shared by the party.
One source involved in campaign finance said extra scrutiny of the arrangement was merited because the WFP was testing the limits of the law.
“They’re dancing on the edge of the law — but they know where the edge is,” said the source.
Assemblyman Joel Miller (R-Dutchess) said Data & Field “should be recognized as a political entity and not a private corporation.”
“There’s no doubt that we can legislate that, but right now, the Democrats are beneficiaries of the Working Families Party,” he added.
“In many cases, that’s the only party affiliate they’ll consider. So you’re not going to get the Democrats who now control the Senate and the Assembly and the [governor’s office] to go along with it.”
Kevin Finnegan, the lawyer who set up Data & Field, countered that it’s no different from any other political consulting firm.
He said the WFP canvassing operation had become so famous that candidates were clamoring for its services.
By creating a separate operation, candidates don’t have to hire the WFP, avoiding possible problems with campaign-finance laws that limit direct contributions to political parties to $89,000, Finnegan said.
“It’s really a fee for services, not a contribution,” he said of the campaign services first provided by the WFP and now by Data & Field.
Under both city and state campaign regulations, any money received from candidates by Data & Field has to be reported.
But the firm doesn’t have to break down its spending unless it pays a subcontractor $5,000 or more in a local race, or $10,000 or more in a statewide contest.
Dan Cantor, the party’s executive director, said that has “never” happened since Data & Field was formed in 2007.
Robert Brehm, a spokesman for the state Board of Elections, said the responsibility of filing a list of subcontractors employed by Data & Field would fall on the campaign treasurer once the $5,000 threshold was met.