A Bronx Assemblyman handed out free COVID-19 tests along with a prohibited money request.
Democrat Kenny Burgos stuck stickers with his face on test kits available at his district office in Soundview. The stickers had a QR code that provided links to various websites, including one for his campaign and one asking for campaign donations.
Under the state civil service law, state offices cannot be used to solicit or collect political contributions, according to the state’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics.
“If there are any documents distributed in a district office that are related to a campaign, it’s definitely questionable,” said Rachael Fauss, senior research analyst for Reinvent Albany, a watchdog group.
Fauss added that COVID-19 tests “obviously are paid for with public funds. I don’t think it’s intended that they be distributed for campaign purposes of any kind.
The campaign links disappeared on Friday after The Post asked about them.
Burgos spokesman Christian Barbato said the links on the QR code “change regularly”.
“The inclusion of campaign-related links on the stickers was limited and an unintentional error which has since been rectified,” Barbato said.
New York Post
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