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Jackson Criticizes $100K Republican Donation to Group Supporting Alcantara

By Jeff Mays | September 12, 2016 4:22pm
 State Senate candidate Robert Jackson is criticizing a $100,000 donation from a wealthy, conservative Republican to a campaign committee supporting Marisol Alcantara.
State Senate candidate Robert Jackson is criticizing a $100,000 donation from a wealthy, conservative Republican to a campaign committee supporting Marisol Alcantara.
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DNAinfo/Jill Colvin

HARLEM — State Senate candidate Robert Jackson is criticizing a $100,000 donation from a wealthy, conservative Republican to a campaign committee supporting Marisol Alcantara, Adriano Espaillat's handpicked successor to fill his 31st District seat.

The Sept. 9 donation to the Senate Independence Campaign Committee comes from Thomas McInerney, a regular donor to Republican guru Karl Rove's Super PAC and the New York Republican State committee. The committee then spent heavily in support of Alcantara's campaign.

The donations, which are allowable under law, far exceed the donation limits that individuals are allowed to make to campaigns.

Jackson campaign spokesman Richard Fife criticized Alcantara for taking money from someone "who has sought to obstruct President Obama at every turn" and said the donation shows the need to "pass real campaign finance reform."

Asked about the donation, Alcantara's campaign spokesman Jonathan Davis said the candidate was "focused on real issues like affordable housing, education and immigration reform" and that the issue was part of "dirty tricks and fringe attacks" from a "desperate" Jackson.

Jackson and Alcantara face off in Tuesday's primary along with Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's chief of staff Micah Lasher and community activist Luis Tejada. The 31st District stretches along the West Side of Manhattan from Chelsea up to Washington Heights and Inwood, as well as of The Bronx.

Espaillat won the Democratic primary for the 13th congressional district and will likely win the November general election in the Democrat-heavy district.

Last week, Jackson criticized one of his own campaign outreach workers, who is a registered Republican, for posting Facebook messages from a pro-Trump group calling Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton a liar and criticizing the Black Lives Matter movement.

McInerney is also a supporter of the charter schools movement and has donated $575,000 to New Yorkers for Independent Action, an education reform group pushing for a state tax credit for individuals who donate to charter or religious schools.

Jackson has wracked up endorsements from the United Federation of Teachers and New York State United Teachers.