(Good point, and one that the press doesn't appear to have caught onto yet. - promoted by David)
By anointing a candidate with only $18,000 in her campaign account, is the Reilly camp aware of the problem they have made for themselves? This year it is apparent that Goldberg, Murray and Silbert will have well funded campaigns, with Silbert and Murray probably spending in the $1 to 1.5 million range (and maybe more) and Goldberg potentially spending in the gazillion range.
Now, it is true that Reilly can spend money to co-promote St. Fleur’s LG race. But the campaign finance laws are tricky and the Reilly and St. Fleur campaigns must share the costs of such co-promotion. So, if Reilly and St. Fleur run a $2 million dollar ad blitz in September, featuring both of them, the regulations state that each campaign committee will have to share the cost for the ad blitz. (Or if St. Fleur was in 10 seconds of the ad, her campaign would have to pay half of the cost of the 10 second part of the ad.) If the St. Fleur campaign does not pay their share of the campaign costs (in the Primary), then it constitutes an illegal donation on the part of the Reilly campaign.
So instead of continuing their fundraising efforts to prepare for the General Election, Reilly’s money people are going to have to divert time and energy towards raising a separate million dollars (at least) for St. Fleur’s primary race. A million dollars that Reilly won’t be able use against Healy in the general. (Although, the more I see Reilly's skills, the less I see him in the General Election.)
And this is a smart move because why again? And how well thought out is their plan? Time will tell.
