Republicans demand ethics probe into Maloney for trainer payments

Republicans are demanding an ethics investigation of Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney after DailyMail.com reported that he paid her and her husband’s personal trainers with campaign and taxpayer funds for allegedly working as a part-time driver.

‘Using taxpayer funds to hire a personal trainer is outrageous. Sean Patrick Maloney should face an ethics investigation,” National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokeswoman Samantha Bullock said in a statement to DailyMail.com.

‘Sean Patrick Maloney is one of the most ethically challenged Democrats in Congress. He deserves to lose and I trust Hudson Valley voters agree,’ Rep. Tom Emmer, who chairs the NRCC, told DailyMail.com in a statement.

Maloney is running against Republican state legislator Mike Lawler in November in a competitive district Cook Political Report calls “Democrat-leaning.”

Erick Ramos was paid $2,608.66 from April to May 2021 by the New York Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chairman’s office and is listed as ‘part-time employee’.

Between March 2021 and October 2021, Ramos received $4,396 from Maloney’s campaign funds. At the same time, Maloney’s husband, Randy Florke, posted several videos on Instagram and tagged Ramos and referred to him as Florke and Maloney’s “personal trainer.”

Ramos, in his Instagram bio, described himself as a ‘personal trainer’ and ‘natural athlete’. Maloney’s office said Ramos was paid as a driver.

Maloney is pictured above with her husband and two of their children.

Maloney is pictured above with her husband and two of their children.

His Facebook page says that he has been employed as head of security at John Hardy since 2018.

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The office said the congressman’s regular driver, who is also listed as a “part-time employee,” took paternity leave and Ramos was hired to replace him.

In a call set up by Maloney’s office, DailyMail.com inquired with the congressman’s regular driver, who said he took paternity leave between March and May 2021 and took time off again in September-October 2021.

On May 13, 2021, Florke posted a workout video and tagged Ramos, whose username is 3rick_ramos1993.

In response to a comment on her post, Florke responded to a comment saying she was at her home gym and telling the follower they “should hire my trainer.” He is amazing. @3rick_ramos.’

Maloney's Husband Randy Florke Posts Training Video And Tags Coach Erick Ramos

Maloney’s Husband Randy Florke Posts Training Video And Tags Coach Erick Ramos

At the same time that Ramos works as the couple's personal trainer, he was employed as a driver for the congressional office and the campaign.

At the same time that Ramos works as the couple’s personal trainer, he was employed as a driver for the congressional office and the campaign.

Florke tags Ramos in a July 2021 post

Florke tags Ramos in a July 2021 post

On March 24, 2021, Florke posted a training video of him and Maloney, again tagging Ramos. On June 24, 2021, Florke posted a shirtless photo of himself and captioned it, “Hiked Mt. Beacon with my trainer @3rick_ramos1993 this morning instead of our normal workout.”

On three other occasions during June and July, Florke posted exercise content on social media and tagged Ramos.

Maloney’s office claimed that Ramos was paid taxpayer money “exclusively” for driving duties and questioning the payments was “blatant homophobia.”

‘Congratulations to the Daily Mail on their shocking discovery that Rep Maloney and her husband exercise! Beyond that, there is nothing in this article other than blatant homophobia and another baseless attack on a person of color who worked for Rep. Maloney,” Maloney’s director of communications, Mia Ehrenberg, said in a statement.

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The driver who went on paternity leave is black.

Flowers in July 2021

The trainer is tagged

Another of Florke’s posts where Ramos is tagged

‘Rep. Maloney’s driver had a baby and needed to go. During that period, Mr. Ramos briefly served as a driver and was paid exclusively for that role.’

Maloney’s campaign had a similar story.

‘Mister. Ramos served as the driver from late March 2021 to May 2021 when the current driver was on license. He also served as a driver on a few occasions in the fall of 2021 as needed,” a spokesperson said.

Florke and Maloney have been together since 1992 and have three adopted children. Florke works as an interior decorator in Cold Spring, New York. Maloney has served in Congress since 2013.

Maloney and Florke work out together in March 2021

Maloney and Florke work out together in March 2021

Ramos was there coaching them during the sweat session.

Ramos was there coaching them during the sweat session.

Florke tags her trainer on a hike on Mt. Beacon, NY in June 2021

Florke tags her trainer on a hike on Mt. Beacon, NY in June 2021

Lawler’s campaign criticized the “unusual financing arrangement” in a statement to DailyMail.com.

“The Erick Ramos controversy stinks to the clouds, but Sean Maloney seems to think the ethics rules don’t apply to him,” campaign spokesman Bill O’Reilly said. That’s what happens when you’ve been an insider in Washington for too long. The more Mr. Maloney tries to run away from this, the more questions arise.

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The DCCC could not be reached for comment.

Maloney made waves in the Democratic Party earlier this year when, after a new redistricting map was released, he announced that he would run in the new district he lives in even though it overlaps heavily with the Rep. Mondaire Jones’ district, prompting Jones to run in New York City. .

Complaints arose across the country about Maloney over the DCCC’s choice to elevate far-right candidates in the Republican primary whom they believed would have an easier time winning in the general election.

This is not the first time that Maloney’s personnel choices have raised questions about whether he used campaign funds for personal use. In July, the New York Post reported on Harold Leath, Maloney’s former “body man” or, as Maloney’s office calls him, “executive assistant.”

“I was with the congressman practically everywhere he went within the district, if he went to a meeting, if he went for a run. He would take him everywhere he had to go,’ he told The Post.

“When I started, my main responsibility was to make sure the congressman and his family never needed anything,” Leath recalled. “I was going to be there.” “Everything I was paid was for his campaign, at first, or to do something for him.”

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