N.Y. Dem head alleges Zeldin campaign unlawfully coordinating with Super PACs

ALBANY — The head of the state Democratic party filed a complaint this week alleging Lee Zeldin’s gubernatorial campaign is coordinating with outside groups spending big money to unseat Gov. Hochul.

In a complaint sent to the state Board of Elections, Dem party chairman Jay Jacobs argues that the Republican candidate’s campaign is breaking election law by working too closely with a pair of deep-pocketed super political action committees.

“Zeldin seemingly has access to information about the super PAC and its activities before they have made any public statements,” Jacobs wrote to state Board of Elections enforcement counsel Michael Johnson.

The two groups, Safe Together NY and Save Our State NY, are largely funded by billionaire Ronald Lauder, an heir to the Estée Lauder cosmetics fortune and longtime backer of conservative causes.

The Albany Times Union first reported Sunday on comments made by Zeldin in which he referred to his campaign and the independent expenditure committees as “we” and “our side.”

The report also notes that Republican City Councilman Joe Borelli (R-Staten Island) serves as both a co-chair for Zeldin’s campaign and a spokesman for the Save Our State group. Safe Together also paid money to political consultant John McLaughlin, who has long served as Zeldin’s campaign pollster, to work on ads critical of Hochul.

Jacobs wrote that it’s “clear that there are millions of dollars being funneled to independent expenditure committees that have either leaders or consultants who are also affiliated with the Zeldin for New York candidate committee.”

“Because this prohibited coordination is ongoing and is leading to strategic decisions being made in the final weeks of a heated campaign season, it is imperative that the Division of Election Law Enforcement take swift action to determine the level of impropriety,” he adds.

By law, Super PACs can raise and spend as much money as they want for or against candidates, but cannot coordinate their efforts with any campaigns.

Borelli claimed his role with Zeldin’s campaign was merely ceremonial.

The complaint comes as a pair of new polls show the race between Zeldin and Hochul tightening with three weeks to go before the Nov. 8 election.

The state Board of Elections, along with the Albany County District Attorney’s office, is already probing Zeldin’s campaign over duplicate signatures submitted in an attempt to get the conservative congressman an additional ballot line.