July 21, 2022
From The New York State Dems:
State Democrat Chairman Jay Jacobs, and all Democratic County Chairs urged the House Select Committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol to investigate U.S. Congressmen Lee Zeldin’s support for overturning the 2020 presidential election and his longtime connections with extremist groups involved in the January 6 insurrection.
“Accordingly, we write today to urge the Select Committee to investigate and gather information on New York Congressman Lee Zeldin (NY-01), who not only strongly supported President Trump and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results but also has years-long connections to extremist groups like the Oath Keepers, who played an essential role in the insurrection,” the members wrote to the House Select Committee. “As Lee Zeldin runs for higher office in the State of New York, we believe the state and the nation must be aware of any possible involvement in the insurrection on the United States Capitol.” The letter points to Lee Zeldin’s involvement with known extremist groups, including the Oath Keepers and Long Island Loud Majority, his close ties to former President Donald Trump, and his objection to the certification of the 2020 presidential election — a vote he cast and defended on the House floor even after the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The full signatory list includes Chairman Jay S. Jacobs, Mark Alquist, Cynthia Appleton, Jamaal Bailey, Margaret Bartley, Suzanne Berger, Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, Terry Bieniek, Lynne Boecher, Chris Borgatti, Valerie Brechko, Brett Broge, Lou Burke, Dia Carabajal, Jake Crawford, Michael Cusick, Corey DeCillis, Max. H. Della Pia, Martha Devaney, Barbara Fiala, Kathy M. Fleury, Mitchell G. Ford, Arlene Garbett Feldmeier, Patricia Giltner, John Gromada, Anne Hart, Kathleen Hayek, Theresa Heary, Sam Hodge, Linda Hoffmann, Shawn D. Hogan, Judith Hunter, Pamela Hunter, John Hurley, Zach King, Michael Lausell, Dora Leland, Jeff Lewis, Brandi B. Lloyd, Mike McCormick, Kelleigh McKenzie, Gregory Meeks, Michael Monescalchi, Liz Moran, Edward M. Murphy, Caitlin Ogden, Elizabeth Passer, Timothy Perfetti, Michael Plitt, Frank Puglisi, Kei Reing, Wilfred Rosas, Frank Salamone, Richard H. Schaffer, Julie Shiroishi, Alan Stern, Richard H. Stewart, Lori Torgersen, David Wood, Robin Wentworth, Keith Wright, Mike Zagrobelny, and Jeremy Zellner.
At the same time, Congressman Lee Zeldin and Michael Henry, GOP nominee for Attorney General, are calling on the New York State Attorney General’s office to open an investigation into Governor Kathy Hochul awarding over $600 million in taxpayer funds to one of her top campaign donors, the Tebele Family, circumventing the state’s competitive bidding process through her self-claimed COVID emergency powers she granted herself unilaterally without legislative approval. The Albany Times Union uncovered this massive pay to play scandal earlier this week. Governor Hochul must immediately submit this referral to the Attorney General’s office without delay.
“As Cuomo’s Lieutenant, Hochul’s MO was to be silent, complicit or out to lunch through years of abuse and scandal after scandal,” said Congressman Zeldin. “The more we learn, the more it becomes clear that she’s eager to follow in Andrew Cuomo’s shoes, making Albany’s culture of corruption far more toxic than ever before. The years of the corrupt Cuomo-Hochul machine must end. The new reports of Kathy Hochul providing hundreds of millions of dollars in New Yorkers’ hard earned tax dollars to one of her largest campaign donors is the latest in alarming pay-to-play scandals plaguing the Governor’s office. The Attorney General must immediately open a swift and full investigation into these corrupt practices.”
“Pay-to-play is simply taxpayer subsidized theft. My opponent, Letitiia James, doesn’t seem to care about criminals and she’s let this particular brand of crime corrode Albany. I demand that she finally put New Yorkers first and request the necessary referral to open an investigation into the latest top Hochul donor who was showered in millions in taxpayer cash,” said
