Politicians Use Campaign Funds for Clowns, Cruises and Cake

   This one comes from a New York Post article that goes into specific details on how elected officials are using their campaign funds better known as war chests to to buy thousand-dollar cakes, pleasure cruises,  self-help seminars, and carnival concessions. The Post writes about two Queens elected officials who have "Sent in the Clowns" literally when they paid Send In The Clowns Entertainment Corp. to work community events.

   The Post adds that State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. paid $3,015 on just six orders of cake — with expenditures called “Mother’s Day Cake” and “Father’s Day Cake” costing $1,240 each. The Post says that Diaz Sr.said there were more than six desserts, and “I don’t know how many there are, but Father’s Day and Mother’s Day, I send cakes to the senior centers,” he said.

   The Post even takes a swipe at State Senator Jeff Klein who spent $1,310 at the Bear Factory, a purveyor of stuffed animals in costumes, for his annual Easter Bunny Breakfast and Magic Show. The article continues with “Senator Klein enjoys supporting community programs, especially those focused on kids,” said Klein spokeswoman Candice Giove. “It’s just one small way he’s able to give back.” The interesting thing here is that Candice Giove up to a few months ago worked for the New York Post as a reporter who went after elected officials. She highlighting the affairs of former Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera on the front page of the Post in one of many stories Ms. Giove wrote for the Post. 

   More questionable spending the Post says is  $1,847 in towels from Sen. Jack Martins (R-LL) for a basketball tournament, $1,455 worth of Eagle Scout awards from Sen. Kenneth LaValle (R-LI), Sen. Diane Savino (D-SI) donated $600 to the Miss Staten Island Pageant, Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Queens) forked over $100 in August for a “dove release” at a community event, Sen. David Carlucci (D-Rockland-Westchester) spent $495 on a seminar by self-help guru Tony Robbins in August 2013 followed by $456 in Robbins “training materials” three months later, Assemblyman Robert Rodriguez (D-Manhattan) shelled out $387 for bingo cards advertising his campaign. Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver spent $1,900 on bus company Zaly’s Tours so constituents could visit Albany for the governor’s State of the State Address, Brooklyn Dem Chaim Deutsch spent $3,448 on “bumper magnets,” while Queens Republican Eric Ulrich gave out $1,170 in “halloween bags”, and Mayor de Blasio’s campaign lists a $550 payment on Nov. 25 to Gina Riggi, a makeup artist for the “Charlie Rose Show.” Which the Post said records show the expenditure was for “election night.”  

   You can view the entire New York Post article Here.