Senator Savino Sticks With Consulting Firm Fined For Campaign Finance Violations

State Senator Diane Savino has no plans to abandon her longtime consulting firm, The Advance Group, even though the company was fined tens of thousands of dollars last week for violating New York’s campaign finance laws, the Daily News Reports.

The Staten Island senator has paid the firm nearly $900,000 since being elected to the State Senate in 2004, according to the Daily News.

“They’ve been my consultants for my entire career,” she reportedly said “I have no concerns about their ability. They’ve settled the issue.”

Last Week, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced The Advance Group would pay $10,800 to New York State and $15,000 to the Campaign Finance Board for violating the state’s campaign finance laws.

As part of the settlement, The Advance Group did not have to admit to the findings of the Attorney General’s investigation, according to the New York Times.

The Times reports the consulting firm unlawfully coordinated activity between an animal rights advocacy group, NYClass, and councilmembers Laurie Cumbo and Mark Levine during the 2013 elections.

NYClass spent money supporting Cumbo’s and Levine’s campaigns while also using staff members and office space from The Advance Group, which was doing consulting work for the council candidates, according to the Times.

In a press release, the Attorney General said The Advance Group made no effort to maintain a firewall between the candidates and the advocacy group, and even set up a shadow company, Strategic Consultants, to obscure the illegal coordination.

In defending her decision to stick with the consulting firm, Savino argued that the Supreme Court’s Citizen United decision, which allows political action committees to accept unlimited contributions in support of politicians, was the more important issue, according to the Daily News.

“We’re going to continue to run into these kinds of problems,” she reportedly said.