NY Politician Exposes Developer Donations: Is My Opponent Compromised?
A note before we get into this: I'm not alleging that my opponent has broken any laws. Campaign finance disclosures are public record, and accepting a legal donation isn't a crime. What I am saying is that, to an everyday constituent in District 16, some of these donations may look out of whack, especially given the specific committee my opponent chairs. Voters deserve to see the full picture and draw their own conclusions.
When you want to understand how a politician will actually govern once they're in office, campaign finance records tell you more than any speech ever will. So, I went and looked at my opponent's, and here's what I found.
Watch the full video here: NY POLITICIAN EXPOSES DEVELOPER DONATIONS to his opponent. #shorts - YouTube
What the Records Show
When I look at my opponent's financial disclosures, I see major real estate developers, the same ones building some of the most expensive apartments in downtown Yonkers, showing up as donors. Names like Park Square Yonkers and Ginsburg Development Company appear directly in those filings.
These aren't small, local contributors giving what they can afford. These are large-scale luxury developers with a direct financial stake in exactly the kinds of decisions a county legislator votes on: how many units they're allowed to build, whether they receive a tax exemption, and how favorable the terms of their next project end up being.
Why This Is Different for Her, Specifically
Here's the part that, to a regular constituent, might raise an eyebrow: my opponent is the chair of the Housing and Planning Committee.
That's not a minor detail. That committee is exactly where decisions about development approvals, housing projects, and zoning get shaped before they ever reach a full vote. So when developers donate to her campaign, it's not just an abstract question about influence in county government generally. It's a legal donation to the specific person whose committee will help decide whether their next project gets approved.
And it's not only developers. When you look at the broader list of contributors, you'll also find architecture firms and paving companies, the exact kinds of businesses that regularly bid on contracts and construction jobs tied to development projects that her committee has direct influence over.
Again, none of this means any rule was broken. But put yourself in the shoes of an everyday Yonkers resident. If the person deciding whether a project gets approved, whether a tax break gets granted, or which contractors get greenlit is also accepting donations from the very industries seeking those outcomes, it's fair to ask questions about whose interests are front of mind when that vote actually happens.
Why This Actually Matters to You
Here's the question I keep coming back to, and the one I think every resident of District 16 should be asking themselves: if it's me negotiating with a luxury real estate developer, or my opponent negotiating with that same developer while chairing the very committee that decides their fate, who do you think is more likely to actually represent you at that table?
This isn't an accusation of wrongdoing. It's a question about judgment, appearances, and whose interests come first when the money and the vote sit this close together.
The Contrast
I've said this before, and the financial disclosures back it up: I have not taken a single dollar from a developer throughout this entire campaign. Every dollar of my campaign has come from residents and taxpayers in this community, the people I'm actually running to represent.
That's not a talking point. It's a decision I made on day one of this race, specifically so that when I'm sitting across the table from a developer, an architect, or a contractor as your county legislator, there's no question about whose interests I'm representing.
You deserve a legislator whose priorities are clear and whose decisions don't come with the appearance of a conflict, especially on the committee that decides those same donors' fates. Look at the records yourself, ask the same question I'm asking, and decide who you believe will actually fight for Yonkers.
Dan D'Amico is running for Westchester County Legislature, District 16, representing Yonkers.
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