**Press Call Recap: New York State Democratic Party Chairman Jay S. Jacobs Discusses Criminal Complaint Against Zeldin Campaign, Audio & Rush Transcript**
For Immediate Release: October 20, 2022
**Press Call Recap: New York State Democratic Party Chairman Jay S. Jacobs Discusses Criminal Complaint Against Zeldin Campaign, Audio & Rush Transcript**
“It's clear that millions of dollars are being funneled into these independent expenditure committees that are coordinating with the Zeldin campaign that violates law.”
“Lee Zeldin worked behind the scenes, working with Mark Meadows, the President's chief of staff at the time, to try to undermine the results of the 2020 Presidential Election. What these texts reveal is that Lee Zeldin had a central role, more central than we even knew and understood at the time.”
Last week, the Times Union revealed the Zeldin campaign’s possible coordination with right-wing PACs, billionaire conservative Ronald Lauder, and Republican operatives. In response to the report, Chairman Jay Jacobs filed a complaint arguing the coordination is unlawful.
A recording of the press call can be found HERE.
Rush transcript of today’s press conference with New York State Democratic Committee Chairman Jay S. Jacobs can be found below:
Chairman Jay Jacobs:
Good afternoon everybody. Thank you for joining us today. Today I'm going to be discussing the recent election law complaint the New York State Democratic Committee filed against the Zeldin campaign. But before I do that, I want to acknowledge that everybody is focused on the fact that Donald Trump endorsed Lee Zeldin this week, and I want to point out that that coincides with the recent bombshell news that Lee Zeldin worked behind the scenes, and there are text messages that reference that, working with Mark Meadows, the President's Chief of Staff at the time, he worked to try to undermine the results of the 2020 Presidential Election.What these texts reveal is that Lee Zeldin had a central role, more central than we even knew and understood at the time, and I think that's something that is very important because Lee Zeldin wants to be our governor. So I think it's imperative for before voters across the state before they decide on who they want for governor, they know of these candidates and what they stand for. And Lee Zeldin’s got a dangerous record, frankly, for New York State. Regarding January 6, we know that he voted to decertify the 2020 Presidential Election results, voted against the creation of the January 6 committee, and he was a designated point man for Donald Trump during his impeachment trial. So I want everybody to understand this is really very, very important.
And there are other questions that should be asked about Lee Zeldin and his involvement with Donald Trump during that period. What other communications did Lee Zeldin have with the Trump Organization, or Mark Meadows, or others to try to discredit the 2020 Presidential Elections? And how else did he help coordinate with election deniers to amplify the Big Lie? I think that is a critical question, in addition to the question, will Lee Zeldin accept the results of this upcoming gubernatorial election? He has yet to answer that. And that goes along with the extreme views that he has articulated in this entire Big Lie ordeal that this country has had to face.
So now let me discuss the complaint, which I think goes hand in hand with Lee Zeldin and his thinking. We know from recent fundraising filings that Lee Zeldin’s fundraising for his campaign has been particularly weak. And in New York state we have very specific, clear campaign contribution limits. Fundraising has to be conducted within those limits. As a refresher, I want you to know that we have these independent expenditure groups that have spent about eight million against Governor Hochul now that under Citizens United that's allowed. I disagree with it. Others disagree with it, but that's the way it is. However, there is a requirement, and it's a very clear requirement. You have these organizations like Save Our State New York, and Save Together New York, they can say what they want under the current law, but they must not coordinate in any way with the campaign that they are, in essence, supporting. There's no question that these two organizations are supporting the Lee Zeldin campaign and opposing Kathy Hochul in her election campaign. Now, you'll see a report in the Times Union which revealed how closely these outside committees, these supposedly independent committees, are coordinating with the Zeldin campaign.Lee Zeldin’s pollster John McLaughlin and New York City Council minority leader Joseph Borelli, and also members of the Conservative Party, have been involved in both the Zeldin campaign and these independent expenditure organizations. The Times Union found that conservative billionaire Ronald Lauder is the biggest funder of both Safe Together and Save Our State and has pumped in literally millions of dollars. So I want to make sure that you see it in the context that we see it. There is a campaign limitation of how much money you can give to a candidate. But if Ron Lauder is allowed to give two, five, or six million dollars or more to a campaign against Kathy Hochul to benefit Lee Zeldin, then he has really circumvented the campaign finance laws in the state of New York. While you’d say that is allowed to be done as long as you don't coordinate, then you can't coordinate. Here we see clear coordination.
So let me explain it to you. Joe Borrelli currently serves as co-chair of Lee Zeldin’s campaign. Simultaneously, he's the spokesperson for Save our State New York. He's working for both those organizations. I don't know how you do that and say you're not coordinating. Additionally, Zeldin’s pollster John McLaughlin was paid $100,000 by Ron Lauder, the biggest donor to these two independent expenditure groups. He did that for work on the radio criticizing Governor Hochul. Another adviser to Ron Lauder and top official in New York's Conservative Party, Allen Roth has worked closely with John McLaughlin, by jointly authoring an op-ed that echoed the very same contents of a PAC funded radio ad.
Why does this matter? Again, it is circumventing New York State's campaign finance laws. And we know very little about these outside groups. We know very little about their agendas. We don't know what it is that they're hoping to get out of a Zeldin governorship should he win. These connections are not coincidental. This week, the New York State Democratic Party filed a complaint against Lee Zeldin’s gubernatorial campaign, to the Board of Elections. They have sent me a receipt that they received it, and they’ll be looking into it. We're asking for an investigation into this possible coordination. Our complaint alleges that the Zeldin campaign coordinated with one or more independent expenditure committees based upon, quote, “common leadership with knowing and intentional sharing of strategic consultants and information.” Those consultants include Joe Borelli and John McLaughlin. These committees are not subject to any contribution limits as long as they do not coordinate with the candidate’s authorized committees or any other individual who acts on behalf of or at the direction of a candidate. And I underscore that because that is what the regulations require.
So finally, what is coordination? Campaign finance law states that there is coordination when the IE employed or retained an individual who is employed by the candidate. In this case, Borelli’s dual role as co-chair of the candidate’s campaign and a spokesman for Save our State, and John McLaughlin's dual role as a pollster and advisor to the Lee Zeldin Campaign Committee, plus serving as a paid consultant for Safe Together.
It's not possible, it's not feasible, and it's not credible, that you're a pollster for Lee Zeldin’s campaign, and you are now working with the independent expenditure group, that you're not using your advice or discussions, or any of the information you gathered through the polling you presented to his campaign to advise strategically this other organization. That's just not credible. That's not possible. And therein lies a major problem for Lee Zeldin’s campaign. So it's clear that millions of dollars are being funneled into these independent expenditure committees that are coordinating with the Zeldin campaign that violates law and that's why we have taken action to make a complaint to the New York State Board of elections. Now I'll open it up for any questions that you have.
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