Outside Spending In Upper East Side Council Race Draws Scrutiny

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Rivals running for the Upper East Side's open City Council seat seized on a new disclosure this week showing that one of their rivals is being boosted by a real estate-backed, pro-business super PAC.

Thursday's disclosure revealed that a group called Common Sense NYC has spent $13,250 in support of Julie Menin, one of seven Democrats running to succeed Ben Kallos in District 5.

Common Sense has spent more than $366,000 on this year's Council races, backing 14 candidates besides Menin — and also spending thousands to oppose seven progressive candidates who it deems "dangerous," as THE CITY reported Thursday.

In Menin's case, the spending covered mailers sent out last week that trumpet her support for small businesses, say she will "get crime under control" and "fix programs for homeless and mentally ill New Yorkers," and build more affordable housing, among other pledges.

Five other District 5 candidates were quick to condemn the outside spending — in large part because Common Sense's largest donors are Stephen Ross and Ron Lauder, a pair of billionaire businessmen who both supported President Donald Trump.

"[W]hat does Stephen Ross want that he's pouring thousands into the District 5 City Council race?" tweeted one, Billy Freeland. "And why is one candidate okay with it?"

Candidates have no say in which outside groups choose to support them, though some may decide to publicly disavow the backing.

In a statement, Menin said, "Outside spending should have no place in our elections, particularly when we have a robust public financing system. I disavow all outside spending."

"My opponents continue to grasp at straws rather than the fact that I am the only candidate with city government experience," she added. "This time it’s about a PAC that that is apparently supporting candidates across the city who oppose defunding the NYPD."

Leaders of Common Sense NYC told THE CITY that they were focused on opposing "socialist-related" candidates, including those who support slashing NYPD funding. Many of their mailers, like the one for Menin, claim that their chosen candidates offer "real solutions for real problems."

Menin is running a more moderate campaign than some of her rivals, boasting that she is one of only two contenders who do not want to cut the NYPD's budget by more than $1 billion. When Patch asked all seven candidates about the planned Safe Haven shelter in Yorkville, Menin was the only candidate who did not directly say whether she supported it.

Another candidate gets labor's love

Menin is not the only District 5 candidate to win support from independent groups. The other is Rebecca Lamorte, whose candidacy has gotten a $4,575 boost from Laborers Building a Better New York — a pro-labor group.

That money paid for a series of leaflets distributed last month, describing Lamorte as a labor ally who "will be a champion for all of the Upper East Side's working families."

Lamorte, who also blasted Common Sense's spending for Menin on Thursday and called on her rival to renounce the contributions, said in a statement that she welcomed the support her own campaign has received.

"[T]he outside spending that is happening on behalf of our campaign appears to be from organized labor, which means it’s coming from hardworking rank and file members of New York City unions," Lamorte said.

All told, the vast majority of the spending in the District 5 race — about 95 percent — has come from individual people, who have donated nearly $350,000 collectively.

About 78 percent of those donors live in New York City, though most contributions have come from residents outside the bounds of District 5.

The City Council primary election will be held on June 22, with early voting from June 12–20. Find your polling place here.

Previous District 5 election coverage:

• Here's Where The Upper East Side Candidates Stand On Your Issues
• UES Council Candidates Face Off In Person: Important Takeaways
• Upper East Side City Council Race: Where Things Stand
• Upper East Side City Council Race: What Issues Matter To You?