Discontented employees are saying that Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, isn’t exactly the hero they expected.
Sliwa is facing accusations of failing to pay his campaign workers thousands of dollars during his recent bid for the New York City mayoral seat.
Republican activists have voiced concerns that staff members supporting various GOP candidates are owed significant amounts, according to insiders.
“The major complaints are coming from the hourly recruiters. They really need their pay,” noted a Republican official.
Emails seen by the Post indicate that messages from both paid and promised staff, which include recruiters expecting to earn $25 an hour, have gone unanswered.
A recruiter, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed his financial struggles, stating he was owed $2,000 and urgently needed the payment. “I’ve had some larger checks in the past, but I’m really relying on this one,” he mentioned.
He even visited Sliwa personally towards the end of the campaign and tried reaching out multiple times.
Alonzo Henderson, who contributed to Sliwa’s efforts in the Bronx, echoed similar sentiments about unpaid wages.
“If someone makes a promise, especially while you’re making big changes, that promise needs to be followed through,” Henderson remarked.
These complaints add to a rough patch for Sliwa, who received only 7% of the votes in the recent election, falling significantly behind the winner, mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani, and the former governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent after not securing the Democratic nomination.
Sliwa’s campaign gathered $6.87 million, including $5.3 million in public matching funds, but has nearly spent $5.1 million, leaving about $1.7 million remaining, according to the Campaign Finance Board.
Campaign spokesman Rob Cole explained that delays in payments are common as they await funds from the CFB. “Everyone will get paid. We’re sorting through the accounting now. It’s a process, so patience is key,” he said.
Sliwa reassured that no one should be facing issues, and that those campaign staffers with timesheets to verify their hours will be compensated soon.
“Throughout the election, our campaign workers were receiving weekly or bi-weekly salaries. To confirm payments after the election, timesheets submitted post-Election Day must be audited and uploaded by December 1,” Sliwa clarified.
He contested Henderson’s allegations, saying that Henderson was paid $600 before being terminated for “verbally abusing and threatening staff.”
Faced with dwindling chances of winning, a number of Republicans shifted their support from Sliwa to Cuomo, viewing him as a preferable option over the democratic socialist candidate Mamdani.
Even President Trump encouraged voters to favor Cuomo rather than Sliwa.
Additionally, John Catsimatidis, owner of WABC radio, criticized Sliwa for his decision to stay in the race despite the circumstances.
