By: Raymond Arturo

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday abruptly moved to return approximately $70,000 in campaign contributions after revelations that her reelection committee had accepted donations from individuals serving on state advisory boards—funds that are illegal under New York’s own executive rules. The unfolding controversy, first detailed by Gothamist and amplified by The New York Post, has triggered a political firestorm, with critics framing the episode as yet another breach in Hochul’s long-promised “new era of transparency.”

According to a report on Monday in The New York Post, Hochul’s campaign acknowledged that at least eight donors currently serving on state policymaking panels had contributed to her war chest in violation of an executive order that Hochul herself renewed in 2021. That directive bars any state officer or employee—including those in unpaid or obscure advisory roles—from donating to the governor’s political operation. The intent of the rule is clear: preventing even the appearance of influence-peddling between government appointees and the chief executive who holds sway over their positions.

The governor’s team swiftly conceded the error and said the contributions would be returned, but the response has done little to stem a wave of criticism. Republican leaders wasted no time seizing on the scandal, with upstate GOP star Rep. Elise Stefanik delivering one of the harshest rebukes. In a blistering post on X, Stefanik declared that “the Worst Governor in America is also the most corrupt,” accusing Hochul of engaging in a “pay-to-play scheme” and returning the funds only after journalists exposed them.

The furor centers in part on two donors highlighted by The New York Post: Matthew Rand, a real estate broker appointed years earlier to the state Board of Real Property Tax Services, who later became a member of the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council; and Mark Gregorio, CEO of TEI, an elevator installation and maintenance firm. Gregorio was appointed by Hochul to the Elevator Safety and Standards Board in February 2022, and since then he, his wife, and his company collectively donated $63,000 to the governor’s campaign. Rand contributed $15,000 while serving on the regional council.

Gregorio, in comments to The New York Post, insisted he had no knowledge of the executive order prohibiting such contributions and denied any connection between his appointment and his financial support. Rand did not immediately respond to inquiries. Nonetheless, the optics have proven damaging, feeding a narrative that Hochul has drifted from her reformist rhetoric and allowed Albany’s historically transactional political culture to reassert itself.

This episode comes at a pivotal moment for Hochul. Facing a challenge in next year’s Democratic primary from her own lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, she now finds herself on the defensive against attacks from both left and right. Delgado, seizing the moment, posted a pointed criticism on social media: “For too long, New York has been run in backrooms with deals made behind closed doors. New York deserves a government that works for the people — not one that operates behind their backs.”