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Astorino: Spano Spending More Tax Dollars on Political Race

Says Spano Cars and Bodyguards Must Go

 

White Plains, NY--July 8...Westchester County Executive Andy Spano continues to sock taxpayers with campaign expenses, routinely using taxpayer-paid cars, bodyguards, and gasoline to travel to and from political campaign events, reform County Executive candidate Rob Astorino (R-I) today charged.

Mr. Astorino called on Mr. Spano to release a schedule of all political events he has attended since announcing his candidacy for re-election, an accounting of how he got to those events, and a list of those who accompanied him to them.

"Using public money for political events is effectively stealing taxpayer dollars," Mr. Astorino said. "The money he is using for political gain does not belong to him; it belongs to the taxpayers. If Mr. Spano must have around-the-clock cars and drivers, he should pay for them out of campaign funds where only politics are involved."

Mr. Spano's use of publicly-funded cars and bodyguards for private errands and political use, which has gone on for 12 years, is just part of a systematic pattern of abuse of public dollars, Mr. Astorino charged.

Mr. Spano has repeatedly used taxpayers dollars for political purposes, the reform candidate said. His $157,000 Deputy County Executive has routinely acted as his campaign spokesperson on the public dime, despite warnings not to do so.

"Andy Spano seems to think that public resources belong to him personally," Mr. Astorino continued. "This pattern of abuse is unacceptable any way you cut it. Maybe it is time for Mr. Spano to buy his own car."