The five people who earned the most from Massey’s mayoral campaign
About a year after Paul Massey announced his campaign for mayor of New York City, he officially announced his withdrawal from the race. His campaign raised over $3 million, in addition to the $2.7 million Massey lent himself, making him easily the best-funded GOP candidate.
Yet when he dropped his bid, Massey credited it to his spending, calling the cost of campaigning “extraordinary,” to the point that he could “not see a path to raising the necessary funds to beat an incumbent mayor.” So we took a closer look Massey's payments, and here's a quick rundown of the top five recipients of his campaign expenditures:
RELATED: A Q&A with Paul Massey
1. DAVID AMSTERDAM – $368,634
Amsterdam left his position as vice president at SL Green Realty Corp, the city’s largest owner of commercial real estate, to work as Massey's campaign chief executive officer. A first-time campaign manager, Amsterdam was praised by Massey, who said, “there (was) no one more hard-working, smart, (and) loyal."
2. DOUGLAS E. SCHOEN LLC – $313,057.40
One of the top campaign consultants in the country, Douglas Schoen was retained for political consulting, according to Massey's campaign filings. His previous clients include AOL Time Warner, AT&T and even former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Schoen is also known for being a regular political contributor to The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post as well as being an author to over 10 books.
3. MICHAEL S. WLODY - $266,184.09
Another paid campaign employee is Michael Wlody, who is the chief financial officer of New York investment sales at Cushman & Wakefield, according to his LinkedIn page. Cushman & Wakefield acquired Massey’s realty services firm in 2015.
4. WILLIAM T. SULLIVAN - $226,870.71
Another campaign staffer is William Sullivan. Sullivan, the former president and CEO of the Ronald McDonald House charity, was brought on to help with fundraising, according to The Real Deal.
5. NEIL H. HEILBERG - $167,474.05
Neil Heilberg was also hired as a campaign worker. According to The Real Deal, he was hired by Massey Knakal Realty Services – where Massey was a principal – as chief operating officer in May 2012. He is now listed on LinkedIn as president at Heilberg Advisors.
NEXT STORY: How well have special sessions worked in Albany?