Carl Paladino Owes Staffers $130,000 From Failed Campaign

By Joe Coscarelli Mon., Mar. 14 2011 at 9:52 AM

Categories: Campaign 2010, Carl Paladino, Joe Coscarelli, Politics

Unsuccessful New York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino still owes about $130,000 to "about a dozen" employees from his campaign last year, according to the Buffalo News, his very same hometown paper that endorsed his rival, now-governor Andrew Cuomo. The paper claims that various "salaries, fees and expenses" are owed to a handful of "consultants, vendors and staff members," while the shyster's company Paladino for the People sits in about $6.1 million in debt with a balance of just $5,305, according to public records. "I would have expected a nice thank-you from Carl for all the hard work I had contributed, but instead I got screwed," said Paladino's former manager of internal operations.

More from the News, via Gawker, on Paladino's patterns:

Others due money in amounts ranging from $1,200 to about $35,000, include an attorney, a researcher, and a half-dozen campaign staffers and media producers, according to the former campaign aides, consultants and vendors.
Several of those owed money described a frequent pattern of behavior by Paladino when he was approached for payment.

Paladino at first failed to respond, and then offered a disputed history of the terms originally agreed upon. Paladino sometimes contended that, regardless of terms, he paid people what he felt they were worth, the former aides and consultants said. And, they added, Paladino often became insulting and confrontational.

Paladino, insulting and confrontational? In our memories, his campaign went a little something like this:

Sent racist, pornographic emails (with bestiality!)

Defended them

Said homosexuality is not an "equal, valid...option"

Sent a person in a duck suit after his opponent

Pictured Andrew Cuomo showering in garbage

Invoked Hitler

Oh, and the money was a mess too.

[jcoscarelli@villagevoice.com / @joecoscarelli]

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