Cut up the credit cards!
State lawmakers are living large on their campaign funds — with hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on such eye-popping items as tanning salons, casinos, “Do-do the Clown,” Brooks Brothers clothes and cigars, according to Gov. Cuomo’s disbanded panel to combat public corruption.
The Moreland Commission panel was investigating the questionable expenses when Cuomo suddenly shut it down after reaching a deal with the Legislature on ethics reform.
The panel turned over its records to Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara, whose office is probing Albany wrongdoing, sources said.
Legislators are supposed to itemize expenses of more than $50 in their campaign filings.
But the panel found more than two dozen who each topped $10,000 in “unitemized expenses” between 2007 and 2013, frequently by listing only payments to credit-card companies without further explanation.
State Sen. George Maziarz (R-Lockport) ran up more than $140,000 in unspecified campaign expenses, according to Moreland records obtained by the Web site City & State.
Upon further review, the panel found that $39,000 went to a company, MEM Enterprises, which had the same address as the senator’s brother, Marvin Maziarz.
Another $4,000 was spent on children’s events, including a payment to a clown identified only as Do-do.
Maziarz defended his spending as legitimate.
“Like other people who run for office, I pay consultants for their services. One consultant is my brother Marvin,” he said in a statement.
Buffalo state Sen. Patrick Gallivan had $80,000 in unreported expenses. It turned out he spent $1,000 on cigars, $300 on tanning salons and $1,200 on casinos.
Gallivan ducked a Post reporter who approached him in the Senate chamber.
Sen. Greg Ball (R-Putnam) spent $23,000 on clothes from Brooks Brothers, Banana Republic and Amore Clothing in Albany.
“The clothing purchases were for campaign use, including a campaign photos, television shoots and production,” said Ball spokesman Joe Bachmeier.
Bharara’s office declined to comment.