A Brooklyn waste hauler is shoveling money into Rivera's Congress bid

NEW YORK — Republicans employed by an obscure Brooklyn recycling company are working on a different kind of green initiative — one to inexplicably pump cash into Democrat Carlina Rivera’s congressional campaign.

Workers and families at Metropolitan Paper Recycling — several of them Republicans and most with little or no political donation history — have contributed $19,100 toward Rivera’s bid in the open race for New York’s newly drawn 10th Congressional District, according to an analysis of the most recent campaign filings.

In fact, company employees and family are collectively among the top contributors to the Manhattan City Council member’s campaign for the NY-10, which covers Lower Manhattan and portions of Brooklyn. And many of their donations came on the same days, suggesting a coordinated effort.

None of the employees would comment, but CEO Gregory Bianco, whose voter records show is registered with the Independence party and last voted during the 2020 presidential election, said he started backing Rivera after another Democrat he supports, Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.), endorsed Rivera in June.

“With the support of Nydia Velázquez and after the redistricting, Carlina Rivera has many qualities you can smile about, but what stands out the most is the work ethic, integrity and fighting for the hard working people of New York,” the Queens resident, who gave Rivera the maximum $5,800 in June, said in an interview.

Bianco’s wife, Marie, also gave the maximum dollar amount to Rivera in June. Marie is a registered Republican who last voted during the 2020 presidential election, according to voter records.

Last year, Metropolitan was courting city officials to approve a proposed recycling facility at the 65th Street Rail Yard in Brooklyn — a site previously in Velázquez’s district, until redistricting placed it in the open seat Rivera is now vying for. In a March 2021 RFEI response filed to the city, Bianco touted Velázquez and then-Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams as backers of the plan.

But the proposal was ultimately scrapped when Gov. Kathy Hochul decided to instead repurpose the area for rail service. The state is conducting an environmental review related to the project.

Not long after filing the RFEI response, Bianco gave the maximum $5,800 to Velázquez in April 2021. He says he grew up in her district, and donation records show he has financially supported the congresswoman since 2017. Marie also contributed $5,100 to Velázquez between February and March 2022.

And Bianco’s employees appear to be following his lead.

On the same April day that he contributed to Velázquez, two other Metropolitan employees — CFO Joe Bittner and HR employee Jillian Clemenza — each gave $2,500 to her campaign. Two months ago, Bittner, Clemenza and Metropolitan office manager Marie Franke each contributed $1,500 to Rivera on the same June day as Bianco and his wife.

Both Bittner and Clemenza are registered Republicans. Clemenza last voted during the 2020 presidential election, and Bittner, a Long Island resident, is listed in the state’s database as an active voter, though records of when he last voted were unavailable.

On March 17, the pair each gave an additional $3,300 to Velázquez. That’s the same day that Metropolitan’s Operations Administrator Helen Vargas gave Velázquez $2,000. Franke and Metropolitan sales employee Joseph Choi each gave her $1,000 that day too. A day later, Senior Account Manager David Wong also contributed $2,000 to the candidate.

In total, the Metropolitan affiliates have invested over $28,000 in Velázquez’s campaign. The campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the donations.

Earlier this month, Franke, Clemenza and Wong each gave $1,000 to Rivera.

As of 2018, Vargas, who at the time appears to have gone by Helen Rosario, was a registered Democrat. No registered voters under the names “Joseph Choi,” “Marie Franke” or “David Wong” could be found at the addresses they provided in donation records.

Of all the employees who gave to Velázquez or Rivera, only Bianco and Clemenza had any prior record of political giving in the last decade, public records show. None appeared to live in Velázquez’s old district, or the one Rivera now seeks. Metropolitan’s offices are miles away on the Brooklyn-Queens border in the 8th District.

A spokesperson said that, to date, Rivera’s campaign has raised nearly $800,000, but the campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Metropolitan donations.

None of the the Metropolitan employees responded to requests for comment. Bianco declined to comment on his employees' donations.

“I think it’s a tough job to fill after Nydia but I think we have a winner here,” Bianco said of Rivera.

Joe Anuta contributed to this report.