Manhattan Madam Kristin Davis’ broke campaign for governor has received a sudden infusion of tens of thousands of dollars to buy TV ads attacking Andrew Cuomo — and she won’t say where the money’s coming from.
Aides to Cuomo believe the funds came directly or indirectly from Republican hopeful Carl Paladino, since Davis’ filings with the state Board of Elections show her campaign committee is virtually bankrupt.
A Paladino spokesman called the charge “ridiculous and incorrect.”
DISPATCHES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Davis, whose campaign is being run by self-described Republican dirty trickster and Paladino adviser Roger Stone, admits to spending at least $40,000 on TV ads in recent days, although Democrats put the amount at $60,000.
Asked where the funds came from, Davis told The Post, “We had someone in the last couple of days contribute a sizeable amount of money.”
She also said her campaign had gotten some additional “significant contributions” since participating in the bizarre, seven-candidate gubernatorial debate Oct. 18.
She insisted she didn’t know the names of any of her large contributors but said Andrew Miller, a longtime Stone operative who is handling her campaign finances, had the information.
Repeated calls to Miller over two days were not returned.
Board of Elections filings show Davis had just $1,711 in the bank July 15, when she first set up her campaign committee, and just $2,096 on hand 30 days ago.
Less than two weeks ago, in her final formal pre-election report, she said she had only $1,563.
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Some top Democrats are privately conceding that the Republicans will regain control of the state Senate in tomorrow’s balloting, although the margin is likely to be tight.
Some key Senate Democrats, while generally tight-lipped about their prospects, have told colleagues they’re fearful that their majority is lost.
Incumbent Democrats Brian Foley of Suffolk County and Darrel Aubertine of Watertown are described by Democratic insiders as “goners,” and they also give Republicans a good chance of defeating incumbents Suzi Oppenheimer of Westchester and Antoine Thompson of Buffalo. While Senate Democrats are publicly hopeful of defeating longtime incumbent Republicans Frank Padavan of Queens and James Alesi of Rochester, other Democrats say they doubt either will lose.
One of the state’s best-known Democrats predicts Republicans will control the Senate 32-30, the same two-vote margin won by Democrats two years ago after 43 years of GOP control.