Gov. Kathy Hochul is sharing some good news with property taxpayers, but the timing of her announcement has critics wondering whether she’s leveraging her official power for personal political gain ahead of the June 28 Democratic primary.
“Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature are providing you this Homeowner Tax Rebate check that you can use to help pay your property taxes,” reads the letter accompanying a check shared with The Post.
The tax rebates are also coming much earlier than in past years.
Checks notably arrived in mailboxes ahead of the September 2018 Democratic primary between ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo and “Sex & the City” actress Cynthia Nixon, but Cuomo’s name did not appear on the accompanying letter.
Four years before, however, Cuomo’s name did appear on such a letter days ahead of the 2014 general election when Hochul served as his running mate, according to a copy of such a letter provided by her office Friday.
Former President Donald Trump faced criticism as well for pushing to get his own name on stimulus checks during his failed reelection campaign in 2020.
Hochul promised to make state government more ethical after succeeding the scandal-plagued Cuomo last year – a vow belied by attaching her name to a government form letter.
“This is just the newest demonstration of what a phony she is. She’s bribing the voters before the election … if it’s not illegal, it should be illegal,” one of Hochul’s primary rivals, Rep. Thomas Suozzi, told reporters at a virtual press conference Friday.
Hochul has also faced criticism for her selection of Brian Benjamin as her first lieutenant governor despite press reports questioning his personal ethics related to a failed 2019 run for New York City comptroller.
Political rivals like Suozzi and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who is also running in the primary, have questioned the propriety of her support for allocating $850 million in state taxpayer money for a new Buffalo Bills stadium that could benefit a company employing her husband, who has recused himself from matters before the state.
Recent ads funded by the New York Power Authority, which touted her environmental efforts while she runs for a full term in office, have also raised eyebrows.
“Gov. Hochul worked with the legislature to secure tax relief for New Yorkers in the State Budget, and given rising costs and national inflation, the Department of Tax and Finance has been working to deliver these benefits to eligible homeowners as quickly as practicable and not delay relief at a time when so many New Yorkers are struggling,” Hochul spokeswoman Hazel Crampton-Hays said in an email.
She did not respond by publication time for clarification about whether the governor or her staff had requested or knew about her name appearing on the rebate checks this year.