Heard Around Town: Dems blast Larkin for late filing

After Republican state Sen. William Larkin Jr. got some bad press this past week for his failure to report his campaign contributions and expenditures by the July 15 deadline, Democratic insiders are trying to capitalize on it to build momentum to knock out the incumbent in 2016.

Orange County Democrats recently sent a letter to Risa Sugarman, the state Board of Election’s chief enforcement counsel, asking her to investigate Larkin for possible election law violations.

“This ethical violation is not surprising considering his die-hard support of Dean Skelos and, along with his strong advocacy of tax breaks for luxury yachts and airplanes, opened him up to a real challenge,” a Democratic source told City & State.

One of the main potential Democratic challengers rumored to be vying for the seat is Democratic Assemblyman James Skoufis. Neither Skoufis nor Larkin immediately returned calls seeking comment.

Democrats make up 38 percent of the active voters Larkin’s district, while 31 percent are Republican. Larkin has held the seat since 1990.

The full letter to Risa Sugerman is below:

Orange County Democratic Committee Letter on Bill Larkin