Developer exceeded donation limits to Halfmoon supervisor

PHOTOGRAPHER: David Lombardo

A major Halfmoon developer who contributed $6,000 to town Supervisor Melinda Wormuth’s campaigns exceeded campaign finance limits by $4,000 over the course of two separate elections.

Bruce Tanski of Bruce Tanski Construction and Development made three separate donations to Wormuth’s campaign committee, Friends of Mindy Wormuth, from 2007-09. According to the state Board of Elections’s website, Tanski gave $2,000 in 2007, $1,500 in 2008 and $2,500 in 2009. Because of the size of the town and the lack of primary opponents for Wormuth, he should have been limited to $1,000 for each two-year-election cycle.

Wormuth said Tansky had been refunded $4,000 today. She added that her campaign is changing it’s finance practices, including the hiring of a new treasurer who has read up on campaign finance laws.

State Board of Elections spokesman John Conklin said it is the responsibility of the donor and the campaign treasurer to keep track of contribution limits. He noted that the state board had no specific penalties or fees associated with exceeding the limit, but the county district attorney could prosecute a misdemeanor offense if it was determined the mistake was knowing and willful.

Democrat Deanna Stephenson, who is running against Wormuth, said she filed a complaint with the state about a month ago. In the process of researching her own filing requirements, Stephenson said she looked at her Wormuth’s filings and saw a red flag.

The state board would not confirm they were investigating Wormuth’s campaign and Tanski’s contributions, but Stephenson said she received notification Saturday about an ongoing investigation.