(The Center Square) — New York Democrats have filed an ethics complaint against Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s rally with President Trump last week at a police academy, claiming it was a partisan political event using taxpayer-funded resources.
The complaint, filed Friday by New York Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs, calls on the state Board of Elections to investigate Blakeman's "improper" use of public resources for the political rally at the Nassau County David Mack Center for Training and Intelligence in furtherance of his statewide candidacy for governor.
"Although the event was billed (as) an official White House function, and the President's speech referenced public safety policy, the truth is the event served as a GOP political rally coordinated by Bruce Blakeman — the incumbent Nassau County Executive and Republican candidate for Governor," Jacbos wrote in the complaint. “The Blakeman-Trump collaboration placed the Republican political love fest, on Nassau County government property, in front of a sea of County uniformed police ... and other law enforcement personnel."
Jacobs alleges that the rally where the president touted Blakeman's challenge to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul as well as Republican congressional candidates — "handed Blakeman and Republican Congressional members seeking re-election a campaign platform."
"As if that was not partisan enough, the campaign stunt masquerading as an official White House function also promoted private, non-office holders, running as Republican candidates in the November election," Jacobs wrote.
In the complaint, Jacobs cited a 2024 rally by Blakeman with Trump that cost more than $1 million in security costs for law enforcement during the president's visit. He asked the board to determine the "fair market value" of the cost to taxpayers from the August rally to assess whether those costs exceeded the state's limits on in-kind contributions to political candidates.
"The Court of Appeals has long held that it is unconstitutional' to use public funds to support a political party, a political candidate, or partisan cause," Jacobs added.
Blakeman dismissed the Democratic Party's complaint as a "Hail Mary" by the governor's reelection campaign.
"Of course Kathy Hochul would criticize the President for coming to tour our outstanding law enforcement facilities and honor law enforcement professionals,” Blakeman said in a statement. "Kathy Hochul is the worst governor in America."
Blakeman, 70, a Nassau County Executive, is making his first run for governor and recently tapped Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood as his running mate for lieutenant governor.
He is challenging Hochul, a Democrat, who is seeking re-election to a second full term with her running mate, former New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams.
A Siena poll released earlier this week shows Hochul leading Blakeman by 10 points, 49% to 39% — a 10-point drop from a June voter survey in a sign that the governor's race is tightening.
Jacobs filed an ethics complaint earlier this month over Blakeman's use of artificial intelligence in his political advertising, claiming he violated disclosure requirements in several of his AI-generated ads attacking Hochul. The outcome of that case is pending.
