Donations to Republican coffers boost Brooks’ resources for race

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Monroe County Republicans raised more than double the amount raised by county Democrats in the first six months of 2003-$1.2 million compared to some $549,000.
Among the top overall contributors were real estate developer Lawrence Glazer and his wife, Jane, who, along with their related companies, contributed $23,000. All of it was pumped into the campaign account of Rochester Mayor William Johnson Jr., a Democrat running for county executive.
“He’s worked very hard to do the best he can,” Lawrence Glazer said of the mayor. “I think he’s done a reasonably good job.”
John and Deborah DiMarco, and the DiMarco Group LLC, ranked second overall in contributions, donating $22,900 to the political parties and county executive candidates. The vast majority of that-$21,500-went to the GOP and its county executive candidate, County Clerk Maggie Brooks.
Developer David Flaum, state Sen. Michael Nozzolio, and LeChase Construction Services LLC and their related firms rounded out the top five. Flaum and Nozzolio, the region’s senior state Republican lawmaker, contributed $22,000 each. LeChase gave $20,000.
Of the top 30 contributors overall, 17 represented real estate and construction interests. Among them were real estate developer Max Farash, who is seeking to donate property to the county; architectural firm Passero Associates P.C. and individual members of the Passero family; as well as Christa Construction LLC and Christa family members.
The totals only reflect contributions of $1,000 and above. They were gleaned from six sets of documents filed with the Monroe County Board of Elections last week by the political parties and county executive campaigns.
The six reports were filed under the names of the Monroe County Republican Committee and its corresponding housekeeping account; the GOP’s Monroe County Coalition for Leadership; Friends of Maggie Brooks; the Monroe County Democratic Committee; and Friends of Bill Johnson.
County party money traditionally has supported the candidates for countywide office. That means the county GOP coffers give Brooks hundreds of thousands of dollars potentially to tap beyond her individual campaign fund.
Blair Horner, legislative director for the Albany-based New York Public Interest Research Group Inc., this week said it is not unusual for real estate and construction interests to contribute to political parties and candidates. Many such interests bid on city and county contracts and projects.
“Typically, the people who fork over the big bucks have the biggest stake,” he said. “It doesn’t surprise me at all that they would be filling up their war chests.”

Limits on contributions

There are limits to what people and corporations can contribute. According to the Monroe County Board of Elections, individuals and partnerships can give up to $21,241 to county executive campaigns.
Families-which include husbands and wives, or anyone who lives under the same roof-can give up to $100,000.
Corporations are limited to $5,000 a year, across all campaigns, excluding party housekeeping accounts. In New York, a parent company can give $5,000, and each of its subsidiaries can give an equal amount.
In Monroe County, that means David Flaum and three affiliates of Flaum Management Co. Inc.-700 Jeff Corp., 1999 Mt. RB LLC and Hague Corp.-were well within the legal limit when they gave $22,000 combined. And Norry Management Corp. and three affiliates-Canal View Associates LLC, Mushroom Blvd. Realty LLC, and 1465 Monroe Ave. Associates LLC-legally gave $7,500 combined.
“It’s a huge loophole,” NYPIRG’s Horner said.
The general public should be concerned when individuals and companies give such large amounts, Horner added.
“They don’t just give the money away because they’re being charitable,” he said. “They think they’re getting something for it.”
Glazer disagrees, saying his political contributions are a way of giving back to the community. Having worked in the Rochester and Monroe County area for the better part of 30 years, Glazer said he has done well for himself and his firm and wants future generations to have the same opportunities.
“There is a little bit of an altruistic feeling,” he said. “The county and the city have been very good to me. I started with nothing. I feel I have to give back.”
Besides, in the past he donated little to campaigns, Glazer added. He sees this year’s contributions as the equivalent of giving $2,000 a year for the past 10 years.
Glazer plans to support other candidates in addition to Johnson. He likely will contribute to certain GOP candidates and is scheduled to have breakfast with Brooks next week, he said.
“I’m just making sure we have the best possible people in the best possible slots,” he said.

County executive race

Brooks raised $371,485 from May to July. Johnson raised $400,521 from April to July.
Brooks’ largest single contributor was Dante Gullace, an attorney with Gullace & Weld LLP. Gullace’s other activities in recent years have included owning a renovated warehouse on St. Paul Boulevard whose tenants include the county’s social services and health departments. He donated $12,000 to Brooks’ campaign.
Johnson’s largest single contributor, other than his own mayoral campaign account, was James Ely Jr. A former member of the city planning commission, Ely donated $12,800 to Johnson’s county executive campaign.
John DiMarco, in addition to being second among the top overall contributors, was the largest single contributor to the GOP’s Coalition for Leadership. DiMarco donated $12,000 to that account.
The largest single contributor to the Republican Party, other than the party itself, was Nozzolio, who gave $6,000. The largest contributor to the GOP’s housekeeping account was Waste Management Inc. of Houston, Texas, which gave $7,500.
Hahn Automotive Warehouse Inc. and the Rochester Joint Board Fund, a local council of labor unions, were the largest single donors to the Democratic Party. Each gave $10,000.
Of the top 30 overall contributors, 14 gave to both Republicans and Democrats. Among them were architectural firm Bergmann Associates Inc., which gave $6,000 to the GOP and $6,250 to Democrats; law firm Harter, Secrest & Emery LLP, which gave $5,000 to Republicans and $5,500 to Democrats; and Laborers International Union and its affiliated state political action committee, which gave $3,000 to the GOP and $4,500 to Democrats.
Approximately 95 contributors donated $1,000 or more to Friends of Maggie Brooks. Some 65 did the same to Friends of Bill Johnson.
At the party level, roughly 180 contributors gave $1,000 or more to Republicans. Some 38 donors gave that much to Democrats.
Brooks’ campaign reported $272,985 in contributions from individuals and partnerships, $61,650 from corporations, $21,500 from labor unions and PACs and $18,302 in contributions from party officials.
In comparison, Johnson’s campaign reported $112,430 in donations from individuals and partnerships, $45,685 from corporations, $54,169 from unions and PACs and $186,664 from his own mayoral campaign account.
Among Republican donors are Kevin Cleary, the Democratic-controlled city’s lobbyist in Albany, who gave $3,000 to the GOP’s Coalition for Leadership. He gave $2,500 to Johnson’s campaign.
The local Conservative Party is a Republican donor as well. The party, which often cross-endorses GOP candidates, contributed $1,500 to the GOP’s Coalition for Leadership.
On the Democratic side, fast-ferry operator Canadian American Transportation Systems LLC donated $2,500 to Johnson’s campaign. The $57.7 million fast ferry to Toronto is scheduled to launch next May.
John Summers, the founder and principal of the Rump Group, a group of some 18 top local CEOs, gave $2,500 to Johnson’s campaign. Summers was not among those who gave $1,000 or more to Republicans.

Enforcement difficult

NYPIRG’s Horner is concerned about donations and political influence, but he also is concerned about enforcement. It is tough to determine who is contributing to whom, and how much, because municipal boards of elections require only paper filings.
State Board of Elections require electronic filings which make enforcement less difficult, Horner said. Anyone interested in knowing more about local campaigns has to go through the finance reports by hand.
State Sen. Joseph Robach, R-Greece, is sponsoring legislation that would make electronic reporting a requirement. Robach this week said the public should have easy access to the finance reports. Since the state board requires electronic reports, local boards should too.
“That makes all the sense in the world,” he said.
The bill is part of broader negotiations on campaign finance that are taking place among the governor and leaders of the state Assembly and Senate, Robach said. If a deal is reached, his bill likely will be included. If not, he will have to persuade his colleagues in the state Senate and Assembly to pass the bill on its own.
“My goal is to just try and get it done,” he said.
Electronic reporting would make it easier to keep tabs on individual and corporate donations, making enforcement easier, NYPIRG’s Horner added. Approval of Robach’s bill would be a step in the right direction.
“It’s one of the things that I think we should do,” he said.
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07/25/03 (C) Rochester Business Journal