Congressional candidates race to raise money before June 30 FEC deadline

                                                                                

From Left to Right, Bruce Blakeman, Kevin McCarthy, Nassau GOP Chairman Joe Cairo, Anthony D'Esposito

A June 30 Federal Elections Commission campaign finance reporting deadline has prompted vigorous fundraising by Long Island Congressional candidates and incumbents.

The Republican speaker of the U.S. House Kevin McCarthy was on Long Island Saturday to boost the fund-raising efforts of several New York GOP members of Congress, including 4th District U.S. Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, an Island Park Republican.

A 4th District candidate Laura Gillen, a Rockville Centre Democrat who lost to D'Esposito last year,  has been sending near daily emails imploring her supporters to give a little -- or a lot --  to help her reach a $15,000 fundraising goal.

Former State Sen. Anna Kaplan, who has announced a bid for the 3rd District Congressional seat now held by Republican U.S. Rep. George Santos, has also been appealing for donations.

And a "he who should not be named" county legislator has been sending back-to-back emails asking for money to run for Congress in the 3rd District even though he is also running for re-election to the Nassau legislature this November.

McCarthy came for a D'Esposito fundraiser in Bellmore Saturday, then went to a Smithtown event for U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota, then to a "Protect the House NY" dinner in the Hamptons that included New York State Republican Chairman and U.S. Reps Nick Langworthy,  Mike Lawler, Andrew Garbarino and Marc Molinaro.

Note that 3rd District Rep. Santos, an admitted liar who has been charged with lying about his finances and is being investigated by the House Ethics committee, was not invited.  

Long Island Republicans have called for Santos to resign, but McCarthy, with a slim Republican majority in the House, needs Santos vote.

Gillen meanwhile has been imploring supporters to help her defeat D'Esposito this time around, noting that the 4th District has been considered a Democratic district for more than 20 years.

 Anna Kaplan is concentrating on Santos to help her raise money, in both tweets and emails.

                                                                             

And of course there is "he who should not be named" Nassau Legis. Josh Lafazan, who has been bashing Santos all year, getting lots of publicity in national media, as he runs again for the Santos Congressional seat, even though he came in third in the Democratic primary for that office last year and is supposed to be running for re-election to the county legislature this year. Lafazan faces his own ethical questions for such issues as using county resources for his Congressional campaign and failing to disclose a 2020 loan as required on his county financial disclosures. He also took more than $700,000 in campaign donations last year from a PAC largely funded by alleged cryptocurrency fraudster Sam Bankman Fried.

He has been sending back-to-back fundraising emails to Democrats who do not live in Congressional District 3, nor in his county legislative district and who have never contributed to him.

Meanwhile, as noted in the photo above, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Republican, also attended the McCarthy-D'esposito event. He posted the photo on his Facebook page.

Interestingly, among the most recent photos posted by Blakeman was his appearance at the Nassau Police Academy with U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, about a bill to combat the illegal drug fentanyl from coming into this country.

Blakeman has been rumored to be eyeing a run against Gillibrand next year, but apparently photo ops take precedent.

                                                                              

Blakeman, with Gillilbrand, just to the left of him, at the Nassau police academy