By: Benyamin Davidsons

Democrats who run the State Assembly are eagerly planning a fundraiser for even before the opening of the 2024 legislative session.   As reported by the NY Post, emails already went out to donors and lobbyists for a fundraiser event held by the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee (DACC) and Speaker Carl Heastie.  The planned fundraiser is to be held at the Renaissance Albany Hotel on Jan. 8 — the night prior to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s State of the State address, which is traditionally the start of the new legislative session.

“You are cordially invited to join NYS Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie for an evening reception benefiting the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee. We hope you can join us,” David Waterman, executive director of the DACC, wrote in the email solicitations sent out.  The asking price for attendance to the event ranges from $1,000 to $25,000.  The email names Heastie as the honorary chair in the invitation, with Assembly members Jeffrey Dinowitz of the Bronx and Pamela Hunter of Syracuse, DACC co-chairs, also being named.

Per the Post, the early fundraiser raised a couple of eyebrows.  One veteran lobbyist who received the invite said he was stunned at the early squeeze, which collides with the holiday season.  “All right, kid. I can’t give you an iPhone because I have to go to a DACC fundraiser,’” quipped the source.

All 211 seats in the Assembly and Senate are up for re-election in fall 2024.  New York Democrats are expected to have their hands full, with tight races and contentious topics including the migrant crisis, crime and New York’s escalating cost of living.   Lobbyists can expect multiple fundraisers after the start of the 2024 legislative session.  That’s when anyone who has business before the state will be put on the spot for contributions, said the head of one government watchdog group. “I’d use the word ‘tithing,’” said John Kaehny, executive director of Reinvent Albany, comparing the donation to giving a percentage of their income to the church.

“If invitees don’t give the Assembly the money, they won’t be in the discussion. That’s the message,” Kaehny said.  He complained that lawmakers are trying to undermine a law that encourages candidates to use small donations of $250 to obtain public matching funds, instead of soliciting big donations of thousands of dollars from a single source. Hochul has yet to decide on the bill.  Kaehny said the DACC event is used to boost incumbents up for re-election, because the event allows for much higher campaign contribution limits.

“Makes sense the DACC is starting early because Democratic Assembly incumbents are worried about the new public matching program helping challengers,” said Kaehny.  Per the Post, the DACC is allowed to accept unlimited contributions for housekeeping expenses and up to $138,500 from an individual per election cycle for other expenses.  Challengers are limited to $6,000 in donations for primary and general elections combined.

Dinowitz, the DACC co-chair, commented saying the early fundraiser was not too unusual.  He said it was “coincidental” that the event is being held the night before Hochul’s annual address.  “One has nothing to do with the other,” Dinowitz said.  “The timing is not an issue. I don’t think it matters when a fundraiser is held. If a fundraiser is held close to the adoption of the budget, people would complain about that,” Dinowitz said.