Halloran, Sued for Campaign Funds, Points to Former Rival

A lawsuit against Bayside Councilman Dan Halloran, R-Whitestone, is pushing forward as the council member's former election committee awaits funds owed to them from his 2009 campaign to settle its debts.

The Bayside Times reported that a campaign vendor is suing Halloran personally for more than $12,000 in interest and fees from services performed for the campaign.

Advantage Inc., based in Virginia, says they did telephone advocacy and other campaign work to help the council member win his seat.

The group was under subcontract with another group that Halloran worked directly for, according to Halloran’s office. “[They] should be suing the people who hired [them], said Halloran spokesman Victor Mimoni, who is also a former Patch contributor.

Halloran can not pay campaign debts because the Campaign Finance Board is in the process of auditing the six candidates in the Democratic primary for his seat, including democratic victor Kevin Kim.

Kim underreported $250,000 in funds, according to Halloran’s office, causing Halloran to receive less in matching funds than he was entitled to.

“The root of this is the Kevin Kim campaign misrepresented their standing by $250,000,” said Mimoni.

The Campaign Finance Board said there may be “violations and penalties,” associated with Kim’s reporting, but wouldn’t speak to whether they apply, or what they would be, pending the completion of Kim’s audit.

“We’re talking about a candidate [Halloran] that’s already received more than $102,000 in public funds,” said Campaign Finance Board spokesman Eric Friedman told Patch. “He may [also] be due something rather less than that,” he added.

Halloran’s campaign raised $63,230, according to the Bayside Times, but spent up to $207,244.

The Bayside Times further reported;

The document went on to request that the case be dismissed for a number of reasons, including Halloran’s contentions that the court lacks jurisdiction over him because he as an individual has no contract with Advantage and that “the plaintiff failed to join necessary parties, namely the city Campaign Finance Board and the Committee to Elect Dan Halloran.”

Advantage Vice President Aris McMahon said he has never heard of a situation in which a politician failed to pay for services for so long after they were provided.

“It’s just bizarre. We’ve done races from president to City Council and we’ve never seen anything like this,” he said. “Eventually he’ll pay up, what this guy’s doing I just don’t understand … Advantage Inc. did not go out and volunteer $12,000 for Dan Halloran to get elected to City Council. It’s embarrassing to have worked for him.”

“No campaign is perfect, said Mimoni. “The difference is Dan Halloran played by the rules.”