A Democratic district leader is urging state ethics officials to investigate presumptive Queens Assemblyman-elect Brian Romero for posting a GoFundMe that urged the public to help pay his rent and other living expenses before he takes office.
“He is using the victory of the Assembly seat to entice people to give him cash,” said Rosa Sanchez, a Democratic district leader who was Romero’s election opponent, in an August 3 letter to the Legislative Ethics Commission and the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government.
Romero, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, won the Democratic primary in June and has no GOP opposition, making him the Assemblyman-elect for the 34th District, which includes parts of Astoria, Corona and East Elmhurst.
He took the fundraising page down following inquiries and a backlash — but not before it collected more than $1,000.
Sanchez called the GoFundMe begging “wildly inappropriate, unethical and unlawful.”
She pointed to several sections of state law that bar public officials from using their office or authority to solicit gifts.
The Public Officers Law bans elected officials from soliciting personal donations or gifts “intended to influence official duties or serve as a reward for official actions.”
Veteran election lawyer Keith Corbett said he’d never seen a political candidate at the federal, state or local level appeal for funds to pay personal bills, but said it was legal.
“I have never seen a candidate do a GoFundMe page before,” Corbett said.
But he added, “It’s not a violation.”
Romero’s act may fall in a gray area outside the law because he’s not yet in office, said Rachel Fauss, a senior policy adviser at the watchdog group Reinvent Albany.
“But it’s much better to avoid those conflicts in the first place,” Fauss said.
At the very least, the ethics panels should craft guidance for nominees about to enter public office, she said.
A representative for the Legislative Ethics Commission referred the Post to the Commission on Ethics end Lobbying in Government (COELIG) as the entity that investigates complaints regarding violations of Public Officers Law.
COELIG, in a statement, said, “Pursuant to the confidentiality restrictions of Executive Law Section 94 and Commission regulations, the Commission cannot confirm, deny, or comment on the existence or pendency of any investigative matter. This includes confirming or denying whether a complaint has been received.”
Romero — who was endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, state Attorney General Letitia James and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — previously said he made a “mistake” and didn’t keep any of the money collected on GoFundMe after he took the page down.
He declined to comment on the request for a probe of his actions.
Romero said on the GoFundMe page that he had found it difficult to find work because of his “temporary situation” and that he had filed for unemployment insurance but had not received it.
He said he landed a small gig but “I need help making rent this month until I start getting paid again.”
Romero had said he had to give up his most recent post as a senior advisor to state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez (D-Queens) in March due to state ethics guidance he received during the campaign and that he didn’t have a job to cover his bills.
“As many of you know, I had to leave my full-time job in the legislature when I got on the ballot for Assembly,” Romero said on his LinkedIn page
“I’m excited that we won and I saved for months to get by but I’ve now depleted my savings as I’m close to closing down some consulting gigs.”
He continued, “To help navigate this next chapter we’ve created a GoFundMe to cover the rest of rent and groceries. The support from friends, colleagues, and community members so far has been overwhelming, and we are deeply grateful.”
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