In a new ad released online, John Faso is laughably trying to re-write history by covering up his scandal-ridden career as an Albany lobbyist.
Who is Faso fooling? Faso’s career as a lobbyist, which stretched over a decade from 2003 to 2015, was full of pay-to-play scandals and investigations into his conduct. Here are just a few examples:
Example 1) In 2010, Faso was at the center of a pay-to-play scandal that cost his lobbying firm $550,000 and a 5-year lobbying ban.
The scandal prompted the New York Attorney General to specifically subpoena Faso in what was described as a “probe of a massive pay-to-play pension fund scandal” related to his lobbying firm.
In the end, Faso’s firm quickly settled with the Attorney General’s office, paying the state $550,000 and agreeing to a 5-year ban on lobbying any state pension funds.
Example 2) Faso was involved in another scandal involving a “Ponzi-like” scheme in which he was named as an “Albany politician” who accepted $18,750 from a financial firm that ripped off investors to pay for “lavish” expenses and had “burned ‘moms and pops.’”
Example 3) Recently, Faso lobbied on behalf of payday lending industry as it pushed for less regulation on high-interest loans.
Example 4) As an Albany lobbyist, Faso worked for the Constitution Pipeline company as it tried to build a natural gas pipeline across New York state. Faso directly represented the company, which used eminent domain to force landowners in Pennsylvania to allow the pipeline across their property. Faso himself was supportive of eminent domain [AP, 3/01/06].
Faso’s response to all of this? Dodge. Deny. Disown.
Faso’s lobbying baggage is so heavy, even the chairman of the Columbia County Conservative Party called Faso “unfit” during his run for governor. [AP, 2/07/06]
“Only an Albany insider lobbyist like John Faso would try to get away with covering up his past pay-to-play scandals and investigations,” said Bryan Lesswing at the DCCC. “Between Albany pay-to-play pension investigations, ponzi-like scandals, and siding with his corporate backers, John Faso has always sided with special interests over the Hudson Valley.”