Steve McLaughlin, the Republican county governor and former state legislator, is accused of using campaign funds to pay personal debts.

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Steven McLaughlin, known for his outspoken criticism of former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with stealing thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to repay Personal debt.

McLaughlin, a Republican who is currently the chief executive of Rensselaer County, New York, is accused of withdrawing $5,000 from his campaign fund in November 2017 when he was a member of the state legislature to repay debts to aides. The indictment stated that Mr. McLaughlin transferred the money to Hudson Valley Strategies, a political consulting firm closely related to him, which subsequently issued a check for $3,500 to Mr. McLaughlin’s staff.

Mr. McLaughlin was charged with two felony counts, including third-degree theft, with a maximum sentence of seven years in prison. If he is convicted of a felony, he will be removed from office.

Mr. McLaughlin was summoned before Judge Jennifer Sober of Rensselaer County Court and later released, marking the culmination of a year-long investigation conducted by the State Attorney General's Office and the FBI.

The indictment released on Wednesday also accused Mr. McLaughlin of submitting fraudulent documents to the State Election Commission after transferring $5,000 from his campaign account.

The debt triggered a dispute between Mr. McLaughlin and his assistant. According to a press release from State Attorney General Letitia James, when he handed a check for $3,500 to the employee, he also returned the assistant’s laptop and iPad, both of which were in his hands.

The indictment did not specify the name of the assistant Mr. McLaughlin quarreled with due to debt issues, but the Albany Times Alliance identified her as Jennifer R. Polaro, who served as McLaughlin’s chief of staff.

Mr. McLaughlin, of Troy, NY, was first elected county executive of Rensselaer County, which borders the Hudson River near Albany, in 2017, after serving in the State Assembly since 2011.

The Ethics Committee of the House of Commons discovered that he had asked a female staff member for nude photos, which cast a shadow over his departure from the House of Commons. Mr. McLaughlin was sanctioned and received a formal warning from the Speaker of the Parliament. He denied any sexual harassment of anyone.

Over the years, Mr. McLaughlin has repeatedly criticized Mr. Cuomo, the Democrat resigned in August due to the sexual harassment scandal, thus exaggerating his image.

The road to resignation. In the early days of the pandemic, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo's leadership won national praise in the early days of the pandemic, but he faced several scandals that eventually led to his resignation on August 10, 2021. The following is information about his political death:

Allegations of sexual harassment. Several women accused Mr. Cuomo of harassment, including groping and obscene remarks. An independent investigation by the New York State Attorney General confirmed these claims. The investigation also found that he retaliated against at least one woman who made public complaints.

Controversy over nursing homes. The Como government has come under fire for underestimating the number of deaths in nursing homes caused by Covid-19 in the first half of 2020. Official statistics may underestimate the true number of deaths by 50%.

Book a transaction. The Attorney General’s report found that Mr. Cuomo used state staff to produce his epidemiological memoirs, violating his commitment to the Joint Committee on Public Ethics, that is, not using state resources to complete it. The board subsequently voted to revoke the authorization for the book.

Chris Cuomo's participation. CNN anchor and Andrew Cuomo’s brother, Chris Cuomo, was suspended indefinitely by the network on November 30, after the New York State Attorney General released new evidence that he had done something to assist his brothers and sisters. His far-reaching efforts violated journalistic standards. He was fired on December 4.

Mr. McLaughlin is known for his rhetoric and often divisive remarks. For example, he once said that Mr. Cuomo acted like Hitler and Mussolini when he pushed for the approval of a strict new gun law in 2013. His remarks were condemned by the leaders of both parties, and he was later forced to apologize.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Mr. McLaughlin often lashed out at the former governor’s policy in the nursing home on Twitter. He also criticized Mr. Cuomo’s economic restrictions and announced at some point in May 2020 that his county would not implement the governor’s executive order to shut down businesses.

In a Twitter post two days before Thanksgiving, Mr. McLaughlin lamented that Mr. Cuomo and at least three of his senior assistants “should have been arrested”.

Mr. McLaughlin, who could not be reached for comment, was re-elected to a second four-year term as county executive by a wide margin this year.

His lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mr. McLaughlin must file a defense before January 17.