Thousands of contributors to Mayor Giuliani’s aborted U.S. Senate race will begin receiving $2.8 million in refunds next week – along with a plea from the mayor to re-direct their checks to Rep. Rick Lazio.
Mayoral aides said they were hopeful Lazio would reap at least $1.6 million.
Federal law requires Giuliani – who withdrew from the Senate race last Friday – to return any donation set aside for the general election. Generally, that means all donations exceeding $1,000.
Bruce Teitelbaum, the mayor’s campaign manager, said “a tad under” $2.8 million of the nearly $20 million raised by Giuliani as of March 31 falls into that category.
“As we return it, I will include a letter requesting, or suggesting, that the people donate the money to Rick Lazio,” the mayor said.
“But they have to make the choice … Hopefully, this will mean that at least some substantial portion of the people who donated to my campaign will donate to his campaign.”
If he’s right, Lazio’s catch-up effort against Hillary Rodham Clinton will get a badly-needed financial jolt.
Giuliani’s appeal on behalf of Lazio may also soothe Republican leaders still worried that his pullout – 24 days after being diagnosed with prostate cancer – hurt the GOP’s chances of beating Clinton.
Teitelbaum said the mayor is intent on boosting Lazio, including hiring extra staff to rush out the refunds.
“We will do everything we can to make sure we help them very quickly with regard to money,” Teitelbaum declared.
But he said a decision on what to do with millions more remaining in the campaign account and about $1 million in “soft money” – which Giuliani is allowed to keep – won’t be made for weeks.
Lazio aides agreed Giuliani is being supportive.
“We have had a tremendous level of cooperation and encouragement from the Giuliani camp. It’s been extraordinary,” said Lazio campaign spokesman Bryan Flood.
Giuliani plans to campaign with the Long Island congressman next week, probably at the Israel Day Parade on June 4.