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We now know who paid for Gov. Hochul’s Israel trip — you did
By
Arun Venugopal
Published Oct 26, 2023
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Photo by Shlomi Amsalem, Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul.
By
Arun Venugopal
Published Oct 26, 2023
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New York taxpayers will be picking up the bill for Gov. Kathy Hochul’s trip to Israel last week, her office told Gothamist Thursday.
The governor’s office had initially refused to name the organization that committed to covering Hochul’s portion of the trip. Avi Small, a spokesperson for the governor, said in a statement that the UJA-Federation of New York offered to pay for Hochul and her staff to travel to the Middle East as the war between Israel and Hamas continues to unfold. Instead of waiting for the state’s ethics commission to approve the arrangement for a trip that already occurred, Small said the state would be stepping in to pay instead.
“Rather than delaying the process until the Commission's November 2023 meeting or whenever they are able to issue a formal determination, the State will cover the costs of the Governor's trip in an effort to avoid further delay and uphold the highest ethical standards,” Small said in an email.
Small did not reveal the full cost of the trip, which included Hochul, four aides and her full security detail, but said it fell within the five-figure range.
Earlier this week, the governor said the state was picking up the tab for her state police detail. State police officials declined to say how many troopers accompanied Hochul or what the trip would cost, instead directing Gothamist Wednesday to file a formal request under the Freedom of Information Law for the information.
“Gov. Hochul is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards and being a careful steward of taxpayer funds,” Small said.
Hochul was on the ground in Israel last week on Wednesday and Thursday, where she met with dignitaries and the families of victims of the Hamas attacks.
The UJA-Federation of New York — along with the Jewish Community Relations Council — had paid for Mayor Eric Adams' trip to Israel in late August, Politico reported.
Small noted that Hochul’s office had notified the Commission on Ethics in Lobbying and Government prior to her visit.
“State law has a process that allows for nonprofits to cover the costs of official governmental travel,” said Small, while noting that the commission had not come to a conclusion regarding the outside funding request.
In an interview with Gothamist, Blair Horner, executive director of the New York Public Interest Research Group, said, “Our recommendation would’ve been to wait until they got an answer before the wheels left the tarmac.”
“The issue is always whether or not the entity or any of the individuals or entities funding the entity have business before the governor,” said Horner. “And that’s where the rubber hits the road. And that’s why it makes perfect sense for the governor to have reached out to the Ethics Commission first. Because that’s their job, to review any potential conflicts of interest.”
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Kathy Hochul
Politics
Arun Venugopal
Arun Venugopal is a senior reporter for the WNYC and Gothamist Race & Justice Unit who focuses on issues of race and bias in our region. His reporting also tackles the topics of immigration, faith, and inequality. Arun serves as the regular fill-in host of the station's "U.S. of Anxiety" program. Arun was the creator and host of Micropolis, a series about race and identity. He is a contributor to NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered. He has appeared on PBS Newshour, On the Media and Studio 360, and has been published in The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal and Salon. He also frequently serves as an emcee and moderator of panel discussions on race, religion, and identity issues and has been a guest host of NPR's "Fresh Air." He lives with his family in Queens.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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