Brooklyn Candidate Eyes Comptroller Position Amid Late Campaign Filing
In Albany, a candidate from Brooklyn, Adem Bunkedeko, known for his past unsuccessful runs, is now vying to manage the state’s finances as comptroller. However, he hasn’t filed his latest campaign finances on time, doing so five days past the January 15 deadline.
When questioned about the delay in filing, Bunkedeko attributed it to a supposed outage of the State Board of Elections’ website, mentioning difficulties faced by New York Attorney General Letitia James in uploading a significant disclosure report.
He noted, “From what I understand, Letita James had 100,000 uploads, so I think she had a hard time processing all of them.” He added, “I don’t think our situation was unique.” However, this claim soon faced pushback.
Kathleen McGrath, a representative from the Board of Elections, countered that the campaign finance portal had no issues and that Mr. Bunkedeko was not hindered in his filing due to the high volume of disclosures from James.
Blair Horner, who leads the New York Public Interest Group, emphasized the importance of adhering to campaign finance rules precisely, saying, “While being late by the fifth day does not fall under the category of ‘mortal sin,’ all candidates need to make sure they are following the rules, not just in spirit, but in letter.” He also humorously pointed out the significance of transparency for a potential comptroller, saying, “if you want to be the guy with the green eyeshadow, that’s even more important.”
Bunkedeko has previously tried to secure the Democratic primary against U.S. Representative Yvette Clark in 2018 and 2020 but is now challenged by incumbent Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, who has held the position since 2007. Currently, Bunkedeko’s campaign finance report shows he has raised approximately $120,000, which is substantially less than DiNapoli’s $1.4 million, as recent reports indicate.
Bunkedeko’s campaign outlines various strategies for reinvesting the state’s pension fund, suggesting, for instance, a minority investment in MSG Sports, the parent company of the New York Knicks and Rangers. “I actually think it’s good for the team. It’s good for the pension fund. It’s good for New York,” he contended regarding his proposal.
