Bill Clinton and Jon Bon Jovi helped Barack Obama raise money at several Manhattan fund-raisers, where Clinton got back on message (even if host Marc Lasry didn’t).
And in other fund-raising news: Several outlets are reporting that Andrew Cuomo, who pushed to legalize casino gambling in New York, benefited from $2 million in donations made by an organization seeking to operate a casino in the state.
The organization’s money went to the Committee to Save New York, a pro-Cuomo group that technically doesn’t have to disclose its donors. The Times notes that the Malaysian company that wanted to operate a casino and convention center in Queens and others “considered a major advertising campaign” to bolster its case, but “the Cuomo administration encouraged the companies to contribute to the [Committee to Save New York] instead.”
The Wall Street Journal gets some great quotes from the head of the New York Racing Association, James Featherstonhaugh, who said his group donated to the Committee to Save New York because he thought they were “going to be somewhat supportive of the general concept of the expansion of gaming. … Otherwise, we wouldn’t have done it.”
An online story from the Post plays up Cuomo’s argument that he pushed to legalize gambling before the donations were made and has not fallen in line with what racino operators and other donors are seeking.
The pro-Cuomo group spends far more on lobbying year than any other single group.
Events
Andrew Cuomo is in New York City and has no public schedule.
11 a.m. Michael Bloomberg, Bill de Blasio, Scott Stringer, Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs, and NYC Health Commissioner Tom Farley discuss obesity, at 111 East 210th Street at Rochambeau Ave., in the Bronx.
3:30 p.m. Bloomberg attends the Penny Harvest for the 9/11 Memorial, at 9/11 Memorial Plaza.
4 p.m. Christine Quinn joins LGBT organizations supporting the Father’s Day march against Stop-and-Frisk, at the Stonewall Inn, 53 Christopher Street.
5:45 p.m. Quinn speaks at the 7th Annual Taste of Long Island City, at Gantry State Park, 49th Ave. and the East River in Queens.
7:45 p.m. Quinn attends Celebrate Brooklyn!, at Prospect Park Bandshell, 9th St. and Prospect Park West.
2012
Bill Clinton got back on message (Romney “would be in my opinion calamitous for our country and the world”) and Marc Lasry did not. [Jackie Calmes]
Pool Report: Eric Schneiderman said, “This didn’t happen because of El Nino. This didn’t happen because we’re being punished for our sins.”
Writing about the Wisconsin recall election today, a Times columnist writes that liberals need to realign with unions if they want to fight income inequality. [Joe Nocera]
NY-08
Hakeem Jeffries: “It’s irresponsible rhetoric to call the president of the United States essentially a tool of the white establishment. It’s irresponsible to have said the president, is essentially, an Uncle Tom who’s got an F grade as it relates to doing business on behalf of black folks.” [Inside City Hall]
Rep. Ed Towns endorsing Charles Barron “ignores their long, bitter history.” [Kyle Thomas McGovern]
NY-18
The Times writes about Rep. Nan Hayworth’s consultant and spokesman, Jay Townsend, quiting after the “hurl some acid” comment he posted. [Raymond Hernandez]
City Hall
A report from Columbia said the prevailing wage legislation could make the price of publicly backed development projects jump by 30 percent. [Ted Mann]
A NY1-Marist poll finds more opposition to Bloomberg’s beverage ban among men than women. [NY1]
Bloomberg’s obesity task force never considered how to boost physical activity for students before proposing the ban on large, sugary beverages. [Reuven Blau]
City Council members attacked Bloomberg’s proposal during a budget hearing. [Sally Goldenberg]
“[T]he sugar in Coke is no more harmful than the sugar in apple juice or a milk shake. This is understandably confusing to residents, who may wonder why New York is planning to ban large sodas but not triple-decker chocolate cakes, or why the 280 calories in a 24-ounce Coke are somehow worse for them than the 330 calories in a Starbucks peppermint mocha.” [Dr. Peter Ubel]
The city’s former transportation commissioner was supportive of mandating helmets for cyclists, and the current one favors increased ridership to promote safety. [David Seifman]
Policing the Police
Flashback: Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries said the NYPD arresting people for carrying small amounts of marijuana in public view after telling them to empty their pockets is a case of “classic entrapment.” [Kyle Thomas McGovern]
Republicans in the State Senate are holding out on Cuomo’s plan to decriminalize possession of 25 grams of pot in public. Jeffries, Sheldon Silver, Ray Kelly, Cy Vance were all on hand for the announcement. [Thomas Kaplan]
The state’s Conservative Party chairman opposes Cuomo’s plan. [Erik Kriss]
Smoking marijuana publicly is still a misdemeanor. [Zack Fink]
Cuomo’s plan needs to be passed “swiftly” by legislators, and stop-and-frisk “must be reformed.” [New York Times]
“New York supposedly decriminalized marijuana 35 years ago … Clearly, in this case, the NYPD has taken numbers-driven enforcement too far.” [Bill Hammond]
Al Sharpton: “We’ve stood with them with same-sex marriage, and they’re standing with us with stop-and-frisk.” [Kate Taylor]
Casinos
“Genting and the association considered a major advertising campaign to back their efforts. But, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions, the Cuomo administration encouraged the companies to contribute to the committee instead, effectively putting the gambling industry’s cash behind the committee’s promotion of Mr. Cuomo’s agenda.” [Nick Confessore, Danny Hakim and Charles Bagli]
The New York Gaming Association donated $2 million to the pro-Cuomo Committee to Save New York. NYGA president, lobbyist James Featherstonhaugh: “It was my understanding [the Committee to Save New York was] going to be somewhat supportive of the general concept of the expansion of gaming … Otherwise, we wouldn’t have done it.” And: “I don’t think they thought much about the gaming issue until I reached out to them.” [Jacob Gershman]
The Post story says Cuomo pushed for legalized casinos before the donations were made and opposed giving racino operators exclusive rights to operate casinos, which legislators preferred. [Erik Kriss]
Cuomo couldn’t promise Genting exclusivity, so, the initial deal collapsed. “Queens is being shafted all the time,” Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz said. [Sarah Maslin Nir]
Mortgage Probe
New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman hired former Southern District assistant U.S. attorney Virginia Chavez Romano to help oversee the investigation. [John Caher]
The Cuomos
Mario and Matilda have been married for 58 years. Andrew, Chris and kids reflect. [Joanna Molloy]
Brooklyn
D.A. Joe Hynes resisted prosecuting a rabbi who kidnapped a 13-year-old boy until the F.B.I. pressured him. [Michael Powell]
2012 Deadline Club Award Winners
Daniel Pearl Award for Investigative Reporting: Danny Hakim and Russ Buettner, New York Times: “Abused and Used”
Newspaper or Digital Local News Reporting: Matt Apuzzo, Adam Goldman, Eileen Sullivan and Chris Hawley, The Associated Press: “NYPD Spies on New York”
Headline Writing: “S#!T Hits the Span, Protesters Take B’klyn Bridge,” Joe Illuzzi, New York Post
Radio and Audio Reporting: Ailsa Chang, WNYC Radio, “Alleged Illegal Searches and Unlawful Marijuana Arrests by the NYPD”
Television Series or Investigative Reporting: Jackie Lukas, Brian Jingeleski, News 12 Long Island: “A Losing Ticket” and “LIRR Ticket Scofflaws”
Mobile Application: “Newsday.”
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