Weprin, Stringer give away campaign cash from convicted Queens trash-hauler
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QUEENS ASSEMBLYMEMBER DAVID WEPRIN, A CANDIDATE FOR CITY COMPTROLLER, received $1,000 from a queens carting company ceo convicted of federal bribery charges and another $1,000 from his wife. PHOTO VIA WEPRIN’S OFFICE
By David Brand
Two top candidates for citywide office say they will give away campaign checks from a Queens trash hauler convicted of federal bribery charges earlier this month.
George Kalergios, the owner of carting company Zeus Waste Management, pleaded guilty Feb. 16 to giving kickbacks to a local college official in exchange for exclusive waste management contracts. Over the past decade, Kalergios has poured tens of thousands of dollars into the campaigns of elected officials across the five boroughs, including David Weprin and Scott Stringer this election cycle.
Kalergios and his wife each contributed $1,000 to Weprin’s 2021 campaign for city comptroller, financial disclosure reports show. Weprin’s campaign manager Zach Bernstein said Weprin would give Kalergios’ check to charity when questioned by the Eagle.
“The contribution to this campaign from this individual will be donated to a local charity providing pandemic relief for New Yorkers in need,” Bernstein said.
Kalergios has also contributed $250 to Scott Stringer’s 2021 campaign for mayor, according to financial disclosure reports. A spokesperson for Stringer said the campaign had returned the money after learning of Kalergios’ conviction.
Betsy Gotbaum, the head of good government group Citizens Union, said the two lawmakers made the right decision.
“They should give it back. No question,” said Gotbaum, a former New York City public advocate.
Keeping the cash would “absolutely look terrible and make people feel bad about politicians,” she added.
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said Kalergios bribed the facilities director at an unnamed local college in order to secure an exclusive trash hauling contract for the Whitestone-based Zeus Waste Management. Kalergios faces up to 15 years in prison and has agreed to make forfeiture payments of nearly $111,000.
Before his conviction Kalergios had been a longtime Weprin supporter, giving the Queens assemblymember at least $16,900 between 2010 and 2017, state financial reports show. He also sunk nearly $5,000 into Weprin’s failed bid for city comptroller in 2009, according to the city’s campaign finance records.
Gotbaum said the “statute of limitations has expired” on those older contributions.
“He hadn’t been convicted then,” she said. “But I would stay as far away from this guy as possible.
Kalergios did not respond to an email seeking comment for this story.
Weprin isn’t the only beneficiary of the convicted trash hauler’s hefty campaign contributions.
Kalergios has given nearly $39,225 to candidates for city office since the 2009 election cycle, including $9,900 to Mayor Bill de Blasio. Kalergios is also a real estate developer in Western Queens and championed de Blasio’s signature Mandatory Inclusionary Housing policy.
De Blasio did not respond to requests for comment for this story.
Kalergios and his wife also gave $11,450 to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz’s various city campaign accounts between 2016 and 2018, plus another $3,500 to her campaign for DA.
In 2019, Katz appointed Kalergios to a seat on Queens Community Board 1.
“I don’t see a problem with that,” Gotbaum said of the community board appointment following the nearly $16,000 in campaign contributions. “They don’t have that much power and he was one of 50 members.”
State Sen. Michael Gianaris received about $15,000 from Kalergios between 2009 and 2018, state financial records show. Gianaris and Katz did not respond to requests for comment.
Councilmember Costa Constantinides took in $5,500 from Kalergios since 2015, including $2,000 for his 2020 bid for borough president.
Constantinides said he was surprised and saddened to learn of Kalergios’ criminal conviction.
“The George Kalergios I knew was someone who was always involved in the community, involved civically, a building owner, interested in what was happening in the neighborhood,” Constantinides said.
“You never think people are capable of doing these types of things. It’s a shame, and I pray for his family.”
