A medical group in New York is funding politicians, with aid from this House Republican.
Rep. Nick LaLota is the most recent figure to focus attention on a cancer treatment center that is politically engaged.
TroibNews 
NEW YORK — Last month, Rep. Nick LaLota, a New York House Republican facing a challenging reelection campaign, appeared in a polished promotional video for New York Cancer & Blood Specialists around the same time he received significant donations from its doctors for his campaign.
In the two-minute video, LaLota praised the “upbeat spirit” at the cancer treatment facility, which was posted shortly after the medical group's physicians and an affiliated PAC contributed $18,000 to his reelection efforts. Additionally, they donated $130,000 to House Speaker Mike Johnson’s Grow the Majority committee, with half of that amount ultimately going to LaLota, according to Federal Election Commission records reviewed by PMG.
LaLota began receiving contributions from the for-profit medical group’s executives in May after he introduced oncologist David Eagle to his House Small Business Committee, allowing the doctor to testify about regulatory challenges.
Eagle, who also features in the promotional video, was the first to give, contributing $3,000. LaLota subsequently received $43,000 from Eagle's colleagues in June, shortly before a key meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson that included Eagle and New York Cancer & Blood Specialists' chief executive Jeff Vacirca, along with former Rep. Lee Zeldin. LaLota, a Long Island Republican who succeeded Zeldin in Congress, stated he was not present at the meeting and did not arrange it.
“This arrangement is the very definition of pay-to-play politics,” commented Bawadden Sayed, a spokesperson for the watchdog group End Citizens United. “The timing of these contributions reeks of corrupt backroom deals, with money flowing to Rep. LaLota before and after key events.”
Although End Citizens United endorses Democratic candidates, it has not supported LaLota’s opponent, John Avlon.
LaLota defended his involvement in the video, the committee testimony, and the prominent meeting. “If a group of cancer doctors from my district, who have helped save hundreds if not thousands of my constituents’ lives, asked me to set up a meeting with top Washington policymakers, I would have,” LaLota told PMG. “That said, I was never asked by anyone to facilitate or attend such a meeting. If the best Democrats can throw at us is attacking doctors trying to beat cancer, I think that says much more about them than it does about us.”
Neither Vacirca, Eagle, nor New York Cancer & Blood Specialists responded to multiple requests for comments.
Over the course of two House campaigns, LaLota has received at least $100,000 from associates of New York Cancer & Blood Specialists and the Conquering Cancer PAC, which is run by Vacirca and Eagle. The Long Island treatment center has historically supported various politicians, particularly Zeldin and New York House Republicans.
LaLota is currently engaged in a competitive House race against Democrat Avlon on eastern Long Island, where a recent poll indicates Avlon is within striking distance. Their contest is one of six that could influence which party controls Congress next year.
The incumbent Republican’s Sept. 24 “advocacy event” for New York Cancer & Blood Specialists featured him participating in a mock exam intended to simulate patient care, resembling an August 2022 video from the organization featuring Long Island Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino.
“Obviously, the morale of both your patients and your staff is quite high. And the upbeat spirit here, I think, is a tremendous help to the patient and the patient’s family,” LaLota remarked to Eagle in the video.
New York Cancer & Blood Specialists' political activities have previously attracted scrutiny. Vacirca once contributed approximately $50,000 to Rep. George Santos, a decision he later expressed regret over. He also donated $60,000 to the PAC that then channeled funds to Zeldin’s gubernatorial campaign, resulting in violations of campaign finance regulations.
Notably, Santos, Zeldin, and the Conquering Cancer PAC were at one point overseen by treasurer Nancy Marks, who pleaded guilty to fraud charges about a year prior to Santos's guilty plea.
Vacirca and Zeldin share a long-standing relationship, as Vacirca treated Zeldin’s leukemia and aided his complete remission in 2021. Vacirca had also recorded a robocall for Zeldin's House reelection campaign three years earlier, which later faced suspension.
While contributions from the Conquering Cancer PAC tend to favor Republicans, they are bipartisan, as seen in a review of its FEC filings. Over the past year, the PAC has donated to varied candidates, including Garbarino, Rep. Nick Langworthy, Democratic state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, state Sen. Gustavo Rivera, and Rep. Tom Suozzi.
Avlon, a former CNN host and LaLota’s opponent, seized the opportunity to criticize the incumbent. “Pretending to be doing ‘advocacy’ while collecting over $100,000 in campaign contributions is dishonest and low even for a professional patronage politician,” the Democratic challenger stated. “This is why people hate politics and distrust honest public servants.”
Physicians from New York Cancer & Blood Specialists have emphasized their commitment to patient care, with Vacirca telling Newsday that he supports candidates who prioritize reducing the influence of health insurance companies and prescription drug middlemen.
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
In the two-minute video, LaLota praised the “upbeat spirit” at the cancer treatment facility, which was posted shortly after the medical group's physicians and an affiliated PAC contributed $18,000 to his reelection efforts. Additionally, they donated $130,000 to House Speaker Mike Johnson’s Grow the Majority committee, with half of that amount ultimately going to LaLota, according to Federal Election Commission records reviewed by PMG.
LaLota began receiving contributions from the for-profit medical group’s executives in May after he introduced oncologist David Eagle to his House Small Business Committee, allowing the doctor to testify about regulatory challenges.
Eagle, who also features in the promotional video, was the first to give, contributing $3,000. LaLota subsequently received $43,000 from Eagle's colleagues in June, shortly before a key meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson that included Eagle and New York Cancer & Blood Specialists' chief executive Jeff Vacirca, along with former Rep. Lee Zeldin. LaLota, a Long Island Republican who succeeded Zeldin in Congress, stated he was not present at the meeting and did not arrange it.
“This arrangement is the very definition of pay-to-play politics,” commented Bawadden Sayed, a spokesperson for the watchdog group End Citizens United. “The timing of these contributions reeks of corrupt backroom deals, with money flowing to Rep. LaLota before and after key events.”
Although End Citizens United endorses Democratic candidates, it has not supported LaLota’s opponent, John Avlon.
LaLota defended his involvement in the video, the committee testimony, and the prominent meeting. “If a group of cancer doctors from my district, who have helped save hundreds if not thousands of my constituents’ lives, asked me to set up a meeting with top Washington policymakers, I would have,” LaLota told PMG. “That said, I was never asked by anyone to facilitate or attend such a meeting. If the best Democrats can throw at us is attacking doctors trying to beat cancer, I think that says much more about them than it does about us.”
Neither Vacirca, Eagle, nor New York Cancer & Blood Specialists responded to multiple requests for comments.
Over the course of two House campaigns, LaLota has received at least $100,000 from associates of New York Cancer & Blood Specialists and the Conquering Cancer PAC, which is run by Vacirca and Eagle. The Long Island treatment center has historically supported various politicians, particularly Zeldin and New York House Republicans.
LaLota is currently engaged in a competitive House race against Democrat Avlon on eastern Long Island, where a recent poll indicates Avlon is within striking distance. Their contest is one of six that could influence which party controls Congress next year.
The incumbent Republican’s Sept. 24 “advocacy event” for New York Cancer & Blood Specialists featured him participating in a mock exam intended to simulate patient care, resembling an August 2022 video from the organization featuring Long Island Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino.
“Obviously, the morale of both your patients and your staff is quite high. And the upbeat spirit here, I think, is a tremendous help to the patient and the patient’s family,” LaLota remarked to Eagle in the video.
New York Cancer & Blood Specialists' political activities have previously attracted scrutiny. Vacirca once contributed approximately $50,000 to Rep. George Santos, a decision he later expressed regret over. He also donated $60,000 to the PAC that then channeled funds to Zeldin’s gubernatorial campaign, resulting in violations of campaign finance regulations.
Notably, Santos, Zeldin, and the Conquering Cancer PAC were at one point overseen by treasurer Nancy Marks, who pleaded guilty to fraud charges about a year prior to Santos's guilty plea.
Vacirca and Zeldin share a long-standing relationship, as Vacirca treated Zeldin’s leukemia and aided his complete remission in 2021. Vacirca had also recorded a robocall for Zeldin's House reelection campaign three years earlier, which later faced suspension.
While contributions from the Conquering Cancer PAC tend to favor Republicans, they are bipartisan, as seen in a review of its FEC filings. Over the past year, the PAC has donated to varied candidates, including Garbarino, Rep. Nick Langworthy, Democratic state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, state Sen. Gustavo Rivera, and Rep. Tom Suozzi.
Avlon, a former CNN host and LaLota’s opponent, seized the opportunity to criticize the incumbent. “Pretending to be doing ‘advocacy’ while collecting over $100,000 in campaign contributions is dishonest and low even for a professional patronage politician,” the Democratic challenger stated. “This is why people hate politics and distrust honest public servants.”
Physicians from New York Cancer & Blood Specialists have emphasized their commitment to patient care, with Vacirca telling Newsday that he supports candidates who prioritize reducing the influence of health insurance companies and prescription drug middlemen.
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
