Pictures provided to City Hall show that Council Member Thomas White (D-Queens) has been mixing Council business with his personal re-election campaign, in an apparent direct violation of campaign finance laws.

In pictures sent in by one of White’s opponents in the race, White campaign workers are shown in front of a store simultaneously petitioning and handing out White’s official Council newsletter, complete with the Council logo and White’s Council email address on it. White himself does not appear in the photos from the event. 

“I have no idea what they’re talking about,” said White when asked about the photos and allegations. “I really don’t.”

According to NYPIRG attorney Gene Russianoff, using official literature as part of a campaign violates campaign finance laws because it amounts to spending taxpayer money rather than personal campaign funds to fuel a re-election race.

“If it’s been printed with the resources of the government, using it for your campaign is a misuse of government resources,” Russianoff said. “It’s like if you hand out 10,000 Council pamphlets while you’re standing at a subway station saying vote for me—that is definitely not how that material was intended to be used.”

This use of government resources while campaigning comes in spite of the fact that White has raised $66,915, more than twice the haul so far of community activist Lynn Nunes, the primary challenger with the next largest campaign coffers in the race.

Nunes said he was appalled at Thomas’ use of Council materials while campaigning.

“I think it’s disgusting,” he said. “To use taxpayer funds to fund his campaign I think is just unfair.”

Minus one of Nunes’ signs being torn down in June, the race has been fairly quiet so far, though it has attracted a number of challengers, including the former chief of staff to Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Queens), Ruben Wills, and former Council Member Allan Jennings.

White previously represented the same Queens district for 10 years before being term limited. He challenged the scandal-tarred Jennings in 2005 and won back the seat.

In a district has been hit hard by the foreclosure crisis and job losses, White’s opponents are arguing that new leadership is key.

“One of the things consistent with a lot of these issues is the same leadership,” said Nunes. “And my sort of message to the voters is how do you expect different results with the same leaders?”

Community activist Mireille Leroy is also running, with her campaign manager Bill Reilly charging that White needs to be put out of office because he is not active enough.

White said he was not taking anything for granted during this campaign.

“It’s going to be a hot, contested race,” he said. “I can’t tell you how things are going because I don’t know. I’m just going, going, going. I don’t look back. I don’t look back.”