State Senator Gustavo Rivera's campaign is calling on the Board of Elections to investigate Fernando Cabrera and his campaign for once again blatantly violating election law by illegally using campaign funds designated for the general election during the primary. Recent filings demonstrate Cabrera has illegally spent over $8,000 above the primary limit of a contribution he received from right-wing, anti-choice donor Roger Hertog.
Hertog contributed $7,000 to Cabrera's campaign, which is the maximum a campaign can receive for a primary elections under the law, and an additional $11,000, which was designated for the general election. However, given that Cabrera's pre-election filing reports a closing balance of $2,931.67, it is evident that a significant portion of the second contribution was illegally used by the Cabrera campaign.
"It is no secret that Fernando Cabrera is willing to break the law and ignore the values of Bronxites to try to advance his own political career and his right-wing ideals," said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. "He is not only taking money from an individual that is notorious for funding right-wing attacks on Black Lives Matter, criminal justice reforms and anti-poverty programs, but he is also illegally using these funds."
In addition, an investigation is also being called to determine the connection and possible coordination between the Republican-led SuperPac supporting Cabrera known as New Yorkers for Independent Action with both the Cabrera campaign and a tax-exempt organization called the Foundation for Opportunity In Education. Documentation links multiple individuals to all three parties. The main perpetrator being Roger Hertog, who has not only contributed $150,000 to the SuperPac and $18,000 to the Cabrera Campaign, but who also serves as the Foundation's Chair.
This is not the first time Cabrera or his campaign have mishandled campaign funds. In 2014, Cabrera broke election law by illegally transferring $33,000 from his city campaign committee, which included $23,000 that had been allocated through the city's taxpayer-funded matching system, to his Senate campaign account.
"It is not surprising that Cabrera's campaign or that his financial supporters are riddled with illegal and questionable activity. They have already demonstrated that they will stop at nothing to further their right-wing extremist views in Albany," said State Senator Gustavo Rivera.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
This comes from the Gustavo Rivera for Re-election campaign.
