Independence Party fundraiser draws scrutiny
When Republicans and Democrats were invited to recent fundraisers hosted by the Monroe County Independence Party, they thought they would be donating to the party.
Instead, they were told to write checks to a campaign committee set up by the chairman, Stephen Corryn of Brighton, who is seeking to become a delegate to his party’s judicial convention.
While the Independence Party raised no money during the first six months of the year, Corryn has raised $28,500 for a post for which candidates usually don’t raise money, as judicial delegates are selected by the chairman, in this case, Corryn himself.
Some people who attended the fundraiser didn’t know where the money went.
They probably didn’t know he would spend $112 on clothes.
“I attend and many of the candidates attend,” said County Republican Chairman William Reilich. “Where that money is directed, I don’t know.”
The figures came from newly released campaign finance reports from the state Board of Elections.
The Independence Party in Monroe County has had its share of scandal. Most recently, congressional candidate Jack Davis’ campaign last year paid the then-chairman’s wife for consulting services while the party was deliberating on which candidate in Davis’ race to endorse.
The party rarely runs its own candidates, instead endorsing Democrats and Republicans. The endorsements are highly sought, as they can provide candidates with another line on the ballot, barring a write-in primary challenge from an unendorsed candidate.
Fundraisers for the minor party normally attract Democrats and Republicans, but that the funds went to a committee set up by the chairman was a surprise.
“I’ve never seen in my 30 years of politics, I’ve never seen a judicial delegate organize a campaign committee,” said Democratic Chairman Joseph Morelle.
Of two fundraisers that directed money to Corryn’s account, one was held within days of when the endorsements were announced, according to the campaign finance reports, leading Morelle to speculate about the fairness of the endorsements.
Following last year’s ouster of Chairman Rafael Colon, Democrats said they were hopeful the minor party’s endorsement process would improve and would give their candidates a better chance, as the party had very often, but not always, endorsed Republicans.
But Democrats lost nearly all of the Independence endorsements, which were made without the committee interviewing candidates.
Reilich attributed the bounty of endorsements to the strength of Republican candidates.
As other party chairmen have done, Corryn has used campaign funds to pay for meetings at restaurants and on his fundraisers. In addition to the clothes, he also spent $27 at the dry cleaners and $72 on gas.
However, these expenses, $8,376 in all from Jan. 15 to July 15, were classified in a way usually reserved for parties, not individual candidates.
State election law allows so-called “housekeeping expenses,” or expenses not directly related to campaigning, to be incurred by parties but not by individual candidate committees like Corryn’s. Corryn listed all of his fundraising as “non-campaign housekeeping receipts” and his expenses as “non-campaign housekeeping expenses.”
The county party also paid some of Corryn’s expenses, including $197 for gas and $90 for tuxedo rental.
Corryn did not return two phone calls and an e-mail seeking comment.
