Brian Romero, the Democratic nominee for a Queens seat in the New York State Assembly, has removed an online fundraiser that asked supporters to help him cover rent and groceries while he waits to take office. The GoFundMe page, which sought $2,000, came down Friday after The New York Post asked about it.
Romero, a Democratic Socialist who won June’s Democratic primary in the state’s 34th Assembly District, said he left his job as a senior adviser to state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez earlier this year after receiving ethics guidance once he became a candidate. He said he has exhausted his savings while searching for consulting work and has been unable to collect unemployment benefits.
«As many of you know, I had to leave my full time job in the legislature when I got on the ballot for our Assembly race. I’m excited that we won and I saved for months to get by but I’ve now depleted my savings as I’m close to closing down some consulting gigs,» Romero wrote on the since-deleted page, according to the Post.
The fundraiser said the money would help cover rent and groceries while he navigated the transition to elected office. The page had raised more than $1,000 from 13 donors before it was taken down, the Post reported.
Romero’s appeal drew criticism because he is expected to easily win the heavily Democratic district. He faces no Republican challenger in November. Once sworn into office, he would earn the state Assembly’s $142,000 annual salary, plus legislative per diem payments while the Legislature is in session.
Jordan Libowitz, vice president for communications at Citizens for Ethics in Washington, told the Post he could not recall another instance of a lawmaker-elect publicly asking for financial assistance while awaiting office.
Romero told the newspaper that he removed the fundraiser after discussing it with friends and described creating it as «a mistake.» He also said he did not keep any of the money that had been donated.
«I decided to take it down. It was kind of done pretty quickly in consultation with some friends,» Romero told the Post.
Instead, Romero said friends offered to help him financially while he looks for work. He told the Post that some friends said they would take care of it. «They’re just dear friends who know me, they know politics. They know sometimes these long breaks are really tough,» he said.
State payroll records cited by the Post show Romero earned $106,469 last year as a legislative aide. The newspaper also reported that he lives with his partner in a Jackson Heights apartment that rents for about $2,600 a month.
The episode highlights the financial pressure that can accompany the transition from a legislative staff job to elected office. Ethics guidance prompted Romero’s departure from his role, but it left him without a paycheck for months in an expensive New York City housing market. His expected salary would not begin until he is sworn in, creating a gap he said he tried to bridge with savings and consulting work.
Romero did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
