End Citizens United, a group of Democratic operatives working to combat the influence of money in politics, has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging that Representative Nick LaLota of New York’s First Congressional District violated federal election law.
In the April 11 complaint, Tiffany Muller, the group’s president, charged that Mr. LaLota, his 2022 campaign for Congress, his campaign treasurer, and his 2020 State Senate campaign violated the 1971 Federal Election Campaign Act and F.E.C. regulations by making a direct contribution from his state committee to his federal committee and “appears to have used his State Committee to pay the expenses of his federal campaign.”
“Subsidizing a federal campaign with nonfederal funds is the exact harm that the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act sought to prevent and that the F.E.C. enacted the transfer prohibition to avoid,” according to the complaint. “Mr. LaLota’s apparent violations grossly undermine the Act’s anti-corruption and anti-circumvention rationales.”
End Citizens United states that Mr. LaLota transferred $1,000 “from the State Committee to the Federal Committee” on Feb. 23, 2022, two days after filing a statement of candidacy for Congress. His state campaign remains an active committee with the State Board of Elections, according to the complaint, though he was not a candidate for state or local office while a candidate for federal office.
The Federal Election Campaign Act prohibits federal candidates from transferring money or assets from their state committees to their federal committees. “Here, there is irrefutable evidence that Mr. LaLota’s State Committee directly transferred $1,000 to the Federal Committee,” according to the complaint.
End Citizens United is asking the F.E.C. to investigate, assess the maximum fine permitted by law, and “require the Federal Committee to disgorge the unlawful funds it received from the State Committee.”
Will Kiley, a spokesman for Mr. LaLota, said yesterday that “the fact the first time we’re seeing this accusation is from the media, and not from the F.E.C. itself, demonstrates that the complaint is political and weak — a mere attention-grabbing move from a shady do-nothing progressive group that, unlike Congressman Nick LaLota, doesn’t actually care about delivering real results for Long Island families, protecting our environment, and supporting veterans. I wish them the best in wasting their time and money on baseless accusations.”
End Citizens United made an identical complaint to the F.E.C. about Representative Anthony D’Esposito of New York’s Fourth Congressional District. Both Mr. LaLota and Mr. D’Esposito are freshman Republicans in the House of Representatives, the latter having flipped his seat from Democratic control when he was elected in 2022.
