http://www.buffalonews.com/...
Apparently Carl Paladino is trying to retroactively slash many of his staffers pay (which is illegal) and is leaving behind a trail of stiffed vendors.
Carl Paladino's campaign stiffed about a dozen consultants, vendors and staff members for some $130,000 in salaries, fees and expenses, according to numerous veterans of his failed gubernatorial bid.
They are pressing for payment from a campaign committee, Paladino for the People, that is deep in debt. Public records show the committee has a balance of only $5,305 and debts of $6.1 million, most of them loans from the candidate.
Several of those owed money described a frequent pattern of behavior by Paladino when he was approached for payment.
Paladino at first failed to respond, and then offered a disputed history of the terms originally agreed upon. Paladino sometimes contended that, regardless of terms, he paid people what he felt they were worth, the former aides and consultants said. And, they added, Paladino often became insulting and confrontational.
"He seems to be picking fights with people he owes money to and not paying," Suereth said. "He's looking for every reason to not pay people he owed money to at the end of the campaign."
Paladino did not respond to three requests from The Buffalo News for an interview. On Friday, he released a statement that declared:
"There are people who didn't get paid for good reason. Everyone who deserved to be paid was paid."
If others feel they are deserving, he said, "They can go to court if they have a complaint."