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Secretive $25K Per Plate Rooftop Cuomo Fundraiser On Eve Of Budget Deadline Draws Scrutiny

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is under new scrutiny after acting as the guest of honor at a rooftop dinner where plates were going for $25,000 each.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New York

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New York

Photo Credit: Pat Arnow

The New York Times reported that Cuomo was a featured guest on the 20th floor of the St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan earlier this month, at an event attended by lobbyists where the minimum donation started at $25,000 in an event held Thursday, March 14, just over two weeks before the New York State budget was due.

Those involved attempted to keep the highly secretive dinner under the radar, and it was not listed in the governor’s calendar, the report said, adding that the invitation was vaguely worded, with the location of the event only accessible after one RSVP’d.

"The fundraiser provided a vivid example of how things work in Albany’s pay-to-play culture, where political contributions are often viewed by business leaders as a prerequisite for getting their perspective heard in the capital,” the Times reported. “It also offered a glimpse into the nexus of money and politics that is commonplace across the ideological spectrum and around the United States, and something that Mr. Cuomo has excelled in.”

According to the report, it was unclear what office, if any, Cuomo was raising money for.

During the event, Cuomo delivered a speech, during which he touched on Amazon’s recent decision to pull out of constructing a New York headquarters, politics in Washington, D.C. and other concerns voters in the Empire State are facing.

Click here to read The New York Times report.

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