Fayetteville, NY -- Dean and Dodie Vlassis are hosting Attorney General Andrew Cuomo at their Fayetteville home Thursday evening to raise money for his bid for governor. Dean Vlassis said the event is on target to raise about $100,000. He expects 250 people. Tickets start at $250 per person or $400 per couple. Cuomo, the state attorney general, is...
View full sizeState Attorney General Andrew Cuomo speaks at the State Office Building in Syracuse on June 23 to talk about his office's investigations into the mortgage rescue industry. On Thursday, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate will be in town on attorney general business, then attend a campaign fundraiser.Fayetteville, NY -- Dean and Dodie Vlassis are hosting Attorney General Andrew Cuomo at their Fayetteville home Thursday evening to raise money for his bid for governor. Dean Vlassis said the event is on target to raise about $100,000. He expects 250 people. Tickets start at $250 per person or $400 per couple.
Cuomo, the state attorney general, is the Democratic candidate for governor. He has named Robert Duffy, the mayor of Rochester, to be his running-mate in the November election.
Vlassis was about to throw a similar party on July 9 last year for Gov. David Paterson, but Paterson suddenly canceled it. Instead, the governor went to a steakhouse in New York City to swear in Richard Ravitch as the new lieutenant governor.
The Cuomo 2010 invitation calls for both casual attire and valet parking and there is a picture of a shimmering pool on the cover. Vlassis has had a long career selling pools and is president of Rodax Enterprises in DeWitt. He is a long-time fund-raiser for Democratic candidates.
Cuomo is also planning an official attorney general event in Syracuse Thursday afternoon, but staff said the time and place had not yet been finalized. He is expected to talk about his ongoing investigation into pension padding, the idea that public employees manipulate their salaries at the end of their careers to boost their pension benefits.
On Wednesday, Cuomo released a preliminary report and a new web site on the topic. Preliminary findings show the practice is widespread and crosses many occupations, from commissioners to toll collectors. Public employees are working substantial and sudden overtime to increase their salaries as they reach retirement.
The report said there is enough evidence of a pension padding pattern to call for more investigation. Cuomo’s staff will request payroll data from 50 more public employers.
Michelle Breidenbach can be reached at mbreidenbach@syracuse.com or (315) 470-3186.