Cuomo Campaign Received Over $50G From Tea Party Founder

Andrew Cuomo hasn't minced words when it comes to the party of his opponent, saying that there is "no place in New York for Tea Party politics." But according to the N.Y. State Elections Board's website, Andrew Cuomo's campaign has accepted over $50,000 from the Tea Party's biggest funder (and, many believe, founder) mogul David Koch.

Koch, whose $12.5 billion fortune makes him the richest man in New York, is also the founder of the conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity which prides itself, among other activities, on training tea party activists.

Neither Koch nor Cuomo have commented on the disclosure.

Comments

[mamala4]

06:26 PM on 10/09/2010

Less for Koch to give to some nutwad.

[p456]

08:18 AM on 10/09/2010

When you make a deal with the devil, one day he is going to ask for the favor to be returned. New Yorkers never surprise me with their ability to scrape the bottom of the barrel.

[altohone]

04:02 AM on 10/09/2010

Do the right thing and give it to an environmental group Cuomo!!!
That dirty money is worse than the foreign cash laundered by the Chamber of Commerce.

Take it and stink.

[NYCannibal]

01:01 PM on 10/08/2010

Ever wonder why PBS Nova never really has adequate coverage of global warming? This is the guy.

[BaronWVS]

08:25 AM on 10/08/2010

Sickening. But that's American politics for you: When in doubt, buy both sides.

[Hardyman1966]

04:23 PM on 10/08/2010

It's quite brilliant, actually, in a I-hope-you-don't-believe-in-Karma-kind-of-way.

[InsideBrooklyn]

07:52 AM on 10/08/2010

Koch's father was an early member of the John Birch Society. He was an admirer of Mussolini and he hated the American Civil Rights movement. David Koch got a "good education" sitting at the feet of dear old Dad. Why would Andy Cuomo want this guy's money? Mario must be a little upset. . .

[BlackYowe]

01:05 AM on 10/08/2010

One way to get elected is make sure the person you are running against is a total wack job like Mr. P. i don't like either of these dudes, tea party cash or not. There is something really snake oil about them both.

[Try the truth]

10:17 PM on 10/07/2010

And saltpeter ducks out like a coward!

[Try the truth]

09:28 PM on 10/07/2010

HUFFPOST SUPER USER saltpeter 4 minutes ago (9:22 PM)
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The big rallies, the media attention, the attention from candidates comes your way because of those corporate dollars, pure and simple. What it comes down to is there is no tea party without those corporate dollars. The MOVEMENT would only exist in the mind of a few and have no momentum to speak of without that funding. And the GOP, once they integrate a few tea party candidates (many of whom like Sharron Angle and Joe Miller who are already playing backroom games like a pro and Christine O'Donnell who is just a hold over from the Religious Right) they will ignore the tea party's concerns in every way but lip service like they did with the Religious Right. In the end, the tea party that claims that one of their major issues is a corporate takeover of Washington, is not doing itself any favors by saddling up with a wholly corporately-owned GOP. The GOP has no interest in these social issues or the tax concerns of the Middle Class. Their only concern is reinvigorating it's working class base (that was upset with the Bush administration) that it duped already once for 30 years while pandering to those who are religious. They are doing the same now, this is part of their game. If the tea party wants to be truly INDEPENDENT it needs to divorce itself from the GOP's talking points and the GOP's funding. You'd earn far more respect if you knew something about your own movement
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Seriously, learn to read and comprehend! We're on the same side, but your really starting to p1ss me off!

[krone5]

09:24 PM on 10/07/2010

If you are tead off at this vote for Hawkins.

[Jazzdragon]

09:16 PM on 10/07/2010

My only reaction to this is a facepalm.

[Try the truth]

09:09 PM on 10/07/2010

HUFFPOST SUPER USER saltpeter 1 minute ago (9:06 PM)
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Sorry, the tea party (with their wholly exclusive support of GOP candidates--the same GOP that deregulated the banks and defends Wall Street from reform) are the one's playing the divide and conquer game. First they are trying to divide the GOP into those who are "real conservatives" (ie those who stand behind bankers, insurers and Wall Street) and "unAmerican conservatives" (those willing to hold Wall Street, bankers and insurers accountable for their pillaging of our country). And then once they destroy the GOP, they will try to do so with the rest of the country. Problem is the tea party are, by and large, astroturf organizations who share the same corporate backing that the GOP has historically shared. Basically the tea party are the reanimation of the equally corporate-backed Religious Right. But instead of hiding their willful ignorant and irrational fear behind a Bible they've never read, the tea party hides their irrational fear and willful ignorance behind a Constitution they've never read. And just like the GOP (and the same corporate masters that give them marching orders who also happen to fund the tea party) ignored the Religious Right once elected, they will do the very same to the Tea Party. And your own willful ignorance about the Tea Party's true funding is the same kind of ignorance the GOP will use to dupe reactionary conservatives like you ONCE AGAIN.
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Please learn to read! I was responding to a bagger and gave it the links to back up my case for the Teabaggers being corporate funded!

[JoeHurley]

08:10 PM on 10/07/2010

I live in NY. If you've been paying attention to Cuomo over the last year, you will have seen that he decided to jump on the Tea Party bandwagon shortly after Scott Brown's victory. Here's an example of some media attention he's gotten for stating repeatedly that he was going to shake up the corrupt Democratic establishment in Albany:

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/culture/2010/07/232123/cuomo-runs-against-his-party-sometimes

I think it was a good strategy. The problem for Cuomo is that Paladino (shockingly) beat Lazio and secured the Republican spot on the ticket. Cuomo's whole gameplan of being a conservative Democratic Tea-Partier (of sorts) is out the window now that he's running against a real Tea Party candidate.

Why would he do all of this considering that he was a shoe-in anyway? Good question! I'm glad you asked...

If he had garnered the conservative vote in NY he could have gotten an overwhelming super-majority of the electorate and had the public mandate to do whatever was necessary to clean up the cesspool that is Albany politics. He might have had a long range plans that led to the White House in 2012 or 2016.

Paladino may well be a spoiler even if he loses the election.

[Try the truth]

09:50 PM on 10/07/2010

The only thing "spoiler" about Paladino is his smell!

[JoeHurley]

01:36 AM on 10/08/2010

Really? That's what you have to say? My God... we are all doomed.

[Stormcrow]

07:10 PM on 10/07/2010

As a loyal democrat, am really depressed with our choices for governor. Let's face it, the only thing Cuomo has going for him is his last name. If you look at his views, he panders to the "blame government first' crowd. His " core values" are nothing more than political grandstanding. Easy solutions for complex problems. Once elected, Mr Cuomo will blame local governments and school districts for the shortcomings of the state. Of course, his opposition is a complete loon. What a pathetic dilemma. Where have the Rockerfeller republicans all gone? I know, I know, we're all democrats now. Democrats who are to the left of the Democratic candidate for governor.

[jones]

06:00 PM on 10/07/2010

Give it back!!!