Albany, NY – Cuomo Hands Out $401,500 In Bonuses To Campaign Staffers

Albany, NY – Just weeks before Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that his senior staff would take pay cuts as a gesture of solidarity with weary taxpayers, he handed out five-figure bonuses from his campaign account to many of them, according to records disclosed on Monday.

In December, Mr. Cuomo, then the governor-elect, gave a total of about $401,500 in bonuses to senior aides on his campaign for governor, including six people who have since joined his administration in high-level roles. His campaign manager, Joseph Percoco, who was recently appointed the governor’s executive deputy secretary, received the highest bonus, $90,000.

Mr. Cuomo’s former pollster, Andrew Zambelli, now counselor to the governor, received $80,000.

The new director of state operations, Howard Glaser, and Mr. Cuomo’s chief of staff, Benjamin Lawsky, were each paid a $50,000 bonus. Mr. Glaser was an unpaid adviser on Mr. Cuomo’s campaign, while Mr. Lawsky was general counsel.

Mr. Cuomo’s campaign spokesman, Josh Vlasto, got $10,000, while a policy adviser, James Malatras, got $25,000. Mr. Vlasto was appointed deputy communications director in the new administration, while Mr. Malatras became the governor’s deputy secretary for policy and programs.

News of the bonuses was first reported on Tuesday by State of Politics, the political blog of the YNN network.

The bonuses represent more money than did the 5 percent pay cuts that Mr. Cuomo ordered for some of his senior staff members in early January, two days after being inaugurated. But some government aides affected by the salary cuts did not work on the campaign and will not get bonuses. Two of those who did win bonuses – Mr. Zambelli and Mr. Glaser – each gave up lucrative consulting businesses to work for Mr. Cuomo this year.

Two of Mr. Cuomo’s fund-raising consultants, Stephanie Berger and Jennifer Bayer Michaels, earned bonuses of $31,500 and $65,000, respectively.

Victory bonuses are fairly common for campaign staff, and Mr. Cuomo can afford them. His campaign reported about $4.2 million in cash on hand as of mid-January.

Also in the five-figure range: The tab for Mr. Cuomo’s no-frills inaugural celebration earlier this month, held in the Capitol before a small audience of friends, family and aides. His campaign reimbursed taxpayers for $46,953.83 in inaugural expenses, according to the filing.