Many of the low-paid maids, truck drivers and janitors who donated to embattled Comptroller John Liu’s campaign coffers are connected to businessman Sam Chang, the budget hotel king of New York, records show.
Liu, a mayoral hopeful, received at least $29,600 from donors who owe some or all of their income to Chang, according to 2013 campaign data from the city Campaign Finance Board.
The donations from Chang, his employees and business associates, come as investigators from the US Attorney’s Office are swarming around Liu’s campaign records looking for fund-raising violations and possible illegal overseas contributions.
The feds last week arrested Liu fund-raiser Xing Wu “Oliver” Pan on fraud charges for allegedly using straw donors to hide a $16,000 contribution from an undercover agent that violated campaign-finance laws.
“There is an investigation. We are fully cooperating,” Liu said yesterday outside a Chinese-American Planning Council luncheon on Grand Street. “My campaign fund-raising has been proper at all times.”
But Liu has not yet released the names of “bundlers” or individuals empowered by the campaign to solicit contributions for Liu’s political war chest.
Chang, who has run as many as 37 midrange and budget hotels in the city, had no comment, according to a secretary at his Great Neck office. He personally gave Liu $800 on July 1.
Six other employees of Chang’s company, McSam Hotel Group, also donated $800 on July 9, records show, and another had donated in June.
Also, on July 9, six employees of Chang’s Comfort Inn Flushing each gave $800.
Contractors who do work on Chang’s properties also figure prominently as donors to Liu.
Some 19 employees of the W&L Construction Firm in Fresh Meadows, Queens, each donated $800 to Liu between May and July. Among the donors were people listed as clerks, janitors and carpenters.
W&L, which did not return calls for comment, has done general construction work on a West 39th Street building that holds a Hampton Inn, a Candlewood Suites and a Holiday Inn Express, according to city records.
Two architects and two plumbers who have done work on McSam properties also contributed $800 each to Liu’s campaign.
Attempts to reach the workers at home were unsuccessful.
There is no indication that Chang is under investigation by the US Attorney’s Office.
The US Attorney’s Office declined to comment for this story.
Liu’s campaign did not return calls for comment.
Staffer $tuffers
There’s campaign cash at the inn. Embattled city Comptroller John Liu has hauled in thousands of dollars in $800 contributions from workers and firms associated with hotel magnate Sam Chang.
* $29,600 in donations were traced to associates of Sam Chang, CEO of McSam Hotel Group.
* Chang donated $800 on July 1.
* Seven other McSam employees also gave $800.
* Six employees of Chang’s Comfort Inn Flushing — including maids and front-desk clerks—gave $800.
* 19 workers, including a janitor and clerks, from W&L Construction, which has done work on McSam properties, gave $800 each to Liu.
Additional reporting by Reuven Fenton