The campaign of David Storobin, the Republican candidate in the special election to replace Carl Kruger in the State Senate, announced this evening they are pursuing a federal elections complaint against Russian-language media force Gregory Davidzon, a key supporter of Mr. Storobin’s Democratic opponent, Councilman Lew Fidler.
“Storobin’s campaign attempted to purchase $10,000 in radio advertising from Davidzon radio two weeks ago,” their press release read. “After several delay tactics, Mr. Davidzon himself refused to allow the advertising even though he is required to do so under federal law.”
Capital New York reported Mr. Storobin’s intentions to purchase media on Davidzon Radio last February, but Mr. Storobin’s campaign spokesman told The Politicker those efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.
Mr. Storobin’s statement said they have since filed a formal complaint with the Federal Communications Commission:
Title 47 “Electronic Code” of the C.F.R. that governs telecommunications states in Subsection 73.1941 (e) that there can be “no discrimination between candidates” when it comes to licensees making time available to candidates for office on public airwaves.
Mr. Davidzon, an influential Russian-language media mogul based in southern Brooklyn, has received increased recognition in the media in weeks. In February, the Wall Street Journal profiled his political influence and last week the New York Times did the same.
He is credited with driving large swaths of Russian-American voters to the polls in Congressman Bob Turner’s upset special election victory last summer. The district Mr. Storobin and Mr. Fidler are competing in shares very similar boundaries and contains an even higher percentage of Russian-speaking voters.
Today’s statement from the Storobin campaign also accused the Fidler campaign of using Mr. Davidzon as “a proxy to pay people $10 to $20 each to pose as ‘supporters’ to attend [a] phony event.”
The Politicker reached out to Mr. Fidler’s campaign, who declined to comment on the record.
