Former Candidate Accused of Fraud
A former Democratic candidate for the New York State Legislature stands accused of swindling approximately $160,000 from taxpayers by exploiting the state’s campaign matching funds program, federal prosecutors announced on Friday.
Dao Ying, who attempted an uphill campaign for Queens’ Congressional District 40 last year but ultimately lost, was charged with wire fraud at a federal court in Brooklyn.
Ying, 62, allegedly manipulated the system by submitting falsified signatures to inflate the reported campaign contributions, thereby boosting his entitlement to public matching funds.
“Through lies and fraud, the defendant allegedly stole more than $160,000 in taxpayer dollars to fund the campaign of an elected office,” stated Matthew R. Galeotti, the Criminal Director at the Department of Justice.
It seems that residents from Queens, alongside fellow Chinese citizens, submitted over 200 donation cards to the state’s Public Campaign Finance Committee.
However, the forged signatures triggered scrutiny from the Campaign Finance Board (CFB), which then requested various letters from donors to verify their legitimacy.
In response, Ying reportedly submitted a fraudulent letter while also contemplating a lawsuit against the Finance Committee, according to claims in the complaint.
Despite his efforts, the outcome of the primary was far from favorable, with him securing about only 6% of the total votes—a mere 185 votes—raising eyebrows further due to the disparity between contributors and voters.
“There’s something off here,” I think many would agree. After all, it does sound quite strange that he had more contributors than actual votes.
“The defendant, a former candidate for public office, submitted a forgery campaign donation card from a community member he aimed to represent, thereby claiming thousands of dollars in public matching funds that he was not entitled to,” remarked Galeotti.
Today’s developments, he added, demonstrate this office’s commitment to safeguarding electoral integrity and holding accountable those who breach the Campaign Finance Act.
Yin and Yang, whose comments were not returned on Friday, could potentially face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.
Notably, New York state’s generous campaign matching fund program has few limitations, allowing candidates in competitive races to receive as much as $12 in taxpayer money for every dollar donated by local residents. The state Election Commission did not provide immediate commentary on the situation.
