It looks like Eliot Spitzer will be a financial “steamroller” this time around.
Spitzer, who’s self-funding his campaign, has put in $3.7 million since declaring his candidacy for comptroller on July 7.
What’s more, the former love gov spent $2.6 million on the race for comptroller in the last month alone — more than 10 times that of his rival Scott Stringer, new campaign finance records show.
A new filing with the city’s Campaign Finance Board reveals Spitzer doled out more than $270,000 on petitioning expenses, including a $165,000 payment to consultant Jonathan Trichter.
And the money apparently made a difference. In just four days, Spitzer’s team collected more than 27,000 signatures to put him on the ballot.
The disgraced former governor — who resigned in 2008 after getting caught soliciting hookers — has also spent $2 million on TV ads.
He paid Brown Miller Group $33,000 for petitioning help and elections attorney Aaron Maslow $37,750 to make sure the petitions wouldn’t be challenged.
Spitzer — who once threatened an upstate lawmaker by saying, “I’m a f–king steamroller, and I’ll roll over you and anybody else” — has steadily filled his coffers, putting in a cool $500,000 on July 15, followed by $425,000 two days later. And on July 24, he gave his campaign $2.72 million.
Meanwhile, Manhattan Borough President Stringer has raised a comparatively paltry $310,595 and spent $173,355 in the same filing period from July 12 to Aug. 5.
Stringer, who raised about $4 million so far, received about $1.5 million in matching funds. He has $4.6 million on hand.
Last week, Spitzer told the Campaign Finance Board that he’s not planning to spend more than $12 million.
If that holds true, Spitzer has $9.4 million left to spend until the primary on Sept. 10. That’s twice the cash that Stringer currently has left in his coffers.
Stringer ripped Spitzer yesterday over his rival’s campaign. “Eliot Spitzer spent more per day getting his name on the ballot than the average New York City voter makes in a year,” Stringer said.
Spitzer’s camp said he has no choice but to fund his own campaign. “Unlike Mr. Stringer, Eliot is not a career politician with the power and money of the political and financial establishment propping up his campaign,” said spokesman Hari Sevugan.
Stringer appears to be the favorite for Christine Quinn’s better half. Record revealed yesterday that the council speaker’s wife, Kim Catullo, gave Stringer the maximum donation of $4,950.
“We understand Mr. Stringer is flustered that he won’t be able to coast into this seat as he and his handlers had planned,” Sevugan added, “but voters deserve a choice in this race between the establishment voice … and the independent voice Eliot would bring to the comptroller’s office.”
Despite railing against Spitzer’s “big money,” Stringer plans to purchase about $2.2 million worth of TV spots that are set to air in late August, Capital New York reported last month.