Green gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins responded today to reports from both the Cuomo and Astorino campaigns about the other candidate engaging in pay-to-play contracts given to major campaign contributors.

"For once Cuomo and Astorino are both right -- and both guilty. They are both right about the other participating in pay-to-play contributions-for-contracts. They are both hypocrites for calling out the other for unethical transactions in which they themselves participate," Hawkins said.

"Cuomo and Astorino are making my case for full public campaign financing for me by demonstrating the pay-to-play corruption in our state and local governments," Hawkins said.

Hawkins also noted that the system of full public campaign financing in New York State that he supports (A04116/S04501) would include a series of debates among all qualified candidates.

"A full public campaign finance system would eliminate the perennial inane debates about debates. It would remove the power of the incumbent to set the terms of debates by putting the debate schedule in the hands of an independent commission," Hawkins said.

Hawkins comments come in response to the morning's Daily News article. According to The Daily News, Rob Astorino received $907,669 in campaign donations from dozens of companies that got county contracts. The Astorino campaign issues a 100-page report detailing $2.7 million in donations Cuomo received since 2010 from companies that won a combined $7.2 billion in state contracts.

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