NY Gov. Kathy Hochul Accused of 'Abusing' Power to Score Luxury Party Suite During Buffalo Bills Game
New York Governor Kathy Hochul was recently accused of “abusing” her power to secure a luxury party suite for a Buffalo Bills game.
April 1 2024, Published 3:00 p.m. ET
New York Governor Kathy Hochul was recently accused of “abusing” her power to secure a luxury party suite for a Buffalo Bills game last year, RadarOnline.com can report.
In a sudden development to come as Governor Hochul is already under fire for attending the wake of slain NYPD officer Jonathan Diller, she was recently accused of “abusing” her power further in connection to an NFL game held in Buffalo in December.
Gov. Hochul was accused of “abusing” her power in connection to a Bills-Cowboys game in Buffalo in December.
According to a complaint filed with the New York State Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government on March 28, Governor Hochul – as well as Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Majority Leader Crystal People-Stokes – were accused of “taking over” a VIP luxury suite for the Dec. 17, 2023, NFL game between the Buffalo Bills and the Dallas Cowboys.
Lawyer David Grandeau, who filed the complaint with New York’s ethics watchdog committee on Thursday, argued that Hochul, Heastie, and People-Stokes “secured the benefit of the use of the box” for their “private benefit” rather than for “governmental purposes.”
“It is clear that the public officials secured the benefit of the use of the box and the tickets for themselves and their guests for their private benefit and/or non-governmental purposes,” Grandeau charged in his complaint last week.
“They clearly abused their power to generate a valuable perk for themselves and the lobbyists that accompanied that was not available to everyday New York citizens and taxpayers,” he added.
Lawyer David Grandeau argued that Kathy Hochul “secured the benefit of the use of the box” for her “private benefit” rather than for “governmental purposes.”
Rebecca LaMorte, a lobbyist and Heastie’s suspected girlfriend, reportedly attended Hochul’s private party inside the luxury suite during the Bills-Cowboys game on December 17.
Lobbyist Patrick Jenkins and his wife were also in attendance, according to a guest list from the event.
“What was lobbyist Patrick Jenkins doing in the suite? How did he get access?” Grandeau charged further in a statement to the New York Post on Sunday.
“This is a simple case. You can’t use your government position to see your favorite team in a luxury box,” he added. “It’s wrong. Enough is enough.”
Hochul herself suggested that the private NFL party in December was for pleasure rather than business in a tweet she posted on the day of the Bills-Cowboys game last year.
“As Buffalonians, [People-Stokes] and I both believe in tolerance for those with opposing opinions… and that’s why we decided to allow a certain [Cowboys] fan to join us at the [Buffalo Bills] game,” the governor wrote alongside a picture of her, Heastie, and People-Stokes.
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“Sorry about the score, [Heastie]!” she added. “Let’s go Buffalo!”
Meanwhile, Hochul’s office insisted that the governor did everything by the book and that the “gathering” at Highmark Stadium on December 17 was held so that Hochul and her advisors could “discuss the region’s infrastructure and economic growth.”
"You can’t use your government position to see your favorite team in a luxury box."
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“Following the guidelines governing the ESD suite, Governor Hochul gathered with members of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce and Western New York leaders at the Bills game where they discussed the region’s infrastructure and economic growth,” a spokesperson for the governor said in a statement after the backlash.
“The Governor followed all State guidelines regarding usage of this space, including using personal funds to pay $531.00 to cover the cost of tickets,” the spokesperson continued.
A rep for the Empire State Development Corp, which controls the suite in question, also confirmed that the governor’s request to utilize the luxury box on December 17 was “honored as a courtesy.”
“All guests were notified of the rules regarding lobbyists’ attendance and public reporting requirements in advance of the game,” the ESD rep added.
It should be noted that former NY Governor David Paterson was ordered to pay a $62,150 fine back in 2011 after he used his position as governor to score Yankees tickets.
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