Gov. Kathy Hochul and other top New York Democrats were accused of using a luxury suite at the Buffalo Bills stadium for a private party during a game against the Dallas Cowboys. The complaint was filed with the state’s ethics watchdog by lawyer David Grandeau, who alleged that the officials secured the benefit of the suite and tickets for their private gain, rather than governmental purposes. The guest list for the suite included a lobbyist that Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie has been romantically linked to.
Rebecca LaMorte, the lobbyist said to be involved with Heastie, along with Patrick Jenkins and his wife, were also present in the VIP suite at Highmark Stadium. LaMorte was listed as self-employed in a state report and later revealed to be dating Heastie. William Hochul, the governor’s husband, who previously worked for the Buffalo Bills’ concessionaire, Delaware North, was a guest in the suite controlled by the Empire State Development Corp, an agency that reports to the governor. Hochul and Heastie are both fans of rival teams, the Bills and the Cowboys.
Despite the accusations, Hochul’s office stated that the governor followed all guidelines regarding the usage of the suite, including using personal funds to pay for the tickets. A donation was made to FeedMore WNY equal to the value of the seats in the suite. The CEO of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce also confirmed that Hochul’s presence in the suite led to productive discussions about infrastructure and economic growth in the region. Heastie’s office declined to comment on the matter.
The state’s panel on ethics and lobbying acknowledged receiving the complaint filed by Grandeau about the unethical use of the luxury suite. The 16-seat VIP suite is operated by ESD to help promote New York’s economy. The report by ESD on attendance at the suite during Bills games listed charitable donations made by attendees, but Grandeau argued that this was evidence of personal benefit rather than official business. He criticized the presence of a lobbyist like Patrick Jenkins in the suite.
Former Governor David Paterson faced a similar ethics probe in 2011 for using his position to obtain Yankees tickets, resulting in a significant fine. Grandeau raised questions about the low value attributed to the ticket in the state’s suite, compared to the much higher value of regular season luxury suite tickets. The ESD spokesperson confirmed that all guests in the suite were informed of the rules regarding lobbyists’ attendance and public reporting requirements in advance of the game. The allegations of abuse of power for personal benefit in the luxury suite remain under investigation by the ethics and lobbying commission.
