Though his name does not appear anywhere on the EH Fusion Party ballot line, David Gruber, a former Democratic Committee chairman running for East Hampton Town supervisor, is by far the splinter group’s largest supporter.
In reports filed with the New York State Board of Elections, the EH Fusion Party took in just under $76,000 in 2019 in cash donations and in-kind services. Of that, just $116.85 came from someone other than Mr. Gruber.
Though Mr. Gruber had intended to be the Fusion Party standard-bearer, he did not file required paperwork and will appear instead on the ballot as an Independence and Libertarian Party candidate.
There were no reports of financial activity for the East Hampton Town Republican Committee in 2019. Neither did the East Hampton Independence Party report any income this year.
Among all the candidates and party committees, donations in round numbers totaled $276,000.
Mr. Gruber bankrolled the formation of the East Hampton Reform Democrats last year to the tune of $10,400, then lost to David Lys in a Democratic primary for a seat on the town board. He also sought but failed to win the full support of the town and county Republican committees.
Following that debacle, he and several others of the Reform Democrats joined with members of the Republican and Independence Parties to form the EH Fusion Party.
The June primary also featured East Hampton Town Justice Lisa R. Rana, a Republican, trying to force out the Democratic Committee’s nominee, Andrew Strong, to claim that mantle for herself.
Among the individual East Hampton candidates’ fund-raising committees, Mr. Strong, the Democratic nominee for town justice, stands out with more than $22,000 in contributions. Eli Zabar of the bread-making empire donated $2,000, one of a handful of Mr. Strong’s four-figure backers. Ms. Rana, the incumbent, was just behind him with a little over $21,000, according to the Board of Elections. Her top contributor was Andrew Sabin of Amagansett and the Sabin Metals Corporation, which accounted for $3,000 together.
Most individual town candidates did not report any activity. An exception was Betsy Bambrick, who reported $1,925 in contributions.
Councilman David Lys took in $2,510 in 2019. Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc and Councilwoman Sylvia Overby did not report any income; the Democrats’ Campaign 2019 is the main fund-raising arm for the party’s candidates.
Campaign 2019 reported $143,000 in donations, including $10,000 from George Filopoulus, a real estate investor and principal owner of the Gurney’s Resort properties in Montauk and Newport, R.I., and $5,000 from the actor Alec Baldwin, who has a house in Amagansett. The fund had $65,500 on hand in its lastest report.
Corporate donations to Campaign 2019 added up to $3,900, from sources including Bistrian Materials ($1,000), Twomey, Latham, Shea, Kelly ($1,000), and the futurist Faith Popcorn’s Brain Reserve Inc. In spending, just over $46,600 went out the door for advertising, printed materials, postage, and graphic design.
East Hampton Town Highway Superintendent Stephen Lynch, running unopposed, also reported no activity.
In Southampton Town, the Democratic Committee reported cash on hand of $36,800, and expenses of $40,000 in its 32-day pre-general election report. The bulk of the committee’s income came from two $25,000 donations in June, from Leonard Blavatnik and Andrew Zaro. In all, the committee took in just under $100,000, it said, since Jan. 1.
Friends of Jay Schneiderman, the incumbent Southampton Town supervisor, took in $68,100 since Jan. 1. Alex Gregor, his Independence Party challenger, reported income of just over $24,000, and Greg Robins, the Republican candidate, $10,600.
The next campaign financial disclosure deadline in New York State is tomorrow with a wrap-up report due by Nov. 28.