An incumbent state Senate candidate's transportation expenditures show how New York needs to reform its campaign finance laws, according to his opponent.

Paloma Capanna, the Democrat candidate for the 54th Senate District seat, raised concerns this week over Sen. Michael Nozzolio's campaign expenditures on various transportation costs over almost two years.

Capanna, who is also running on the Working Families ticket, said her opponent has spent tens of thousands of dollars on car payments, insurance and gasoline since December 2006.

Such “lavish” expenses, she said, are an example of the need for more regulations on how candidates can spend their money.

However, representatives from the Nozzolio campaign are saying Capanna's statements are misleading, and the senator is following state election law.

According to state Board of Elections financial disclosure reports, Nozzolio has spent more than $66,500 on transportation since December 2006. That number includes thousands of dollars in “unitemized transportation” expenditures that do not show up on the board's online database but are listed on the hard copy of the report.

Capanna pointed out Monday that the reports include payments of approximately $1,000 to Ford Motor Credit that appear to be a lease or car payment.

If Nozzolio is able to buy a car for his campaign with political donations, it shows he is not facing the “same, day-to-day existence” as most people in central New York, Capanna said.

“We have people in the region right now who are deciding whether to pay to put gas in their car or pay for a prescription,” Capanna said.

According to campaign finance records, Capanna has spent less than $27,000 on her campaign since January 2007. None of the items on the financial reports show transportation expenditures.

But Justin McCarthy, a spokesperson for the Nozzolio campaign, stated Monday that Capanna's statement is a “desperate attack” from a “failing campaign.”

Nozzolio's vehicle is a mobile office used for official and campaign purposes, McCarthy said in a written statement. All of the senator's expenditures have been approved by the state Board of Elections, McCarthy said.

“The facts are that the Nozzolio campaign fully complies with all election laws and campaign records are publicly filed and reviewed by the state Board of Elections,” McCarthy stated.

New York election laws allow campaign funds to be used for any lawful purpose, but they shall not be converted to personal use.

Capanna called for more limits on the amount of money individual candidates and action committees can use for transportation. She said she would like to see a system like the one used by the Internal Revenue Service to account for the transportation expenditures of a business. There should be a published reimbursement rate for mileage that changes with the price of gas, she said.

“If we require candidates to be more disciplined with campaign funds, they will be much more disciplined when handling taxpayer money,” Capanna said.

In his statement, McCarthy called Capanna's words “untruthful and reckless.” He pointed to the recent debate over her voting record from 1997 to 2002. Capanna claimed to have missed out on voting one year because she was at a jury trial, but the courts are closed on Election Day, he noted.

“Ms. Capanna is making more false and untruthful statements which have no credibility,” McCarthy stated.

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net.