ALBANY — With a month to go before the elections, Airbnb is set to dump a whopping $10 million into a super PAC it created to help with its fight in New York, the Daily News has learned.
The Stronger Neighbors political action committee will use a portion of the money to fund pre-Election Day ads designed to educate voters about the positions lawmakers have taken on home sharing, a source familiar with the situation said.
It’s unclear whether the money will be spent on television, radio or print ads in the districts of individual lawmakers or whether they will fund mailers targeting specific legislators heading into Election Day on Nov. 8.
It’s also unclear how much of the $10 million will be spent over the next month. “The real goal is to be poised to move fast if something breaks in the next 29 days,” the source said.
The $10 million is on top of $1 million Airbnb used in June to seed the new PAC. The allocations would make the Airbnb PAC one of the largest — if not the largest-political action committee in the state.
“We want to make sure that our hosts know we’re in their corner, and that both our critics and our allies hear their voices this November and beyond,” said Airbnb’s Josh Meltzer.
He accused the hotel industry, which has led the charge against Airbnb, of spending “tens of millions of dollars to buy influence in Albany and launch an endless barrage of misleading attacks to vilify the 46,000 New York hosts who rely on home sharing as an economic lifeline.”
Airbnb has been fighting a bill that would prohibit the advertising of illegal units on home-sharing sites and would impose fines of up to $7,500 per violation.
The Legislature passed the first-in-the-nation bill in June before ending the legislative session. It has yet to be sent to Gov. Cuomo, who has not said whether he intends to sign or veto the measure.
ShareBetter, a coalition of unions, politicians, and housing and tenant groups fighting Airbnb, accused the company of spending “tens of millions of dollars in a cynical attempt to hijack the political process.”
“What Airbnb doesn’t seem to realize is that no amount of money can buy their way out of documented and persistent law breaking,” a ShareBetter spokesman said. “Airbnb could save themselves a lot of money ‘educating’ lawmakers if they just followed the law that protects affordable housing.”
Assembly bill sponsor Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan) said she is “stunned” by the $10 million Airbnb is transferring into its PAC, but not concerned.
“I guess they really feel threatened by the bill,” Rosenthal said. “You can throw all the money you want, but if you have the facts on your side like we do, you don’t have to be worried.”
Interests on both sides of the issue have been pouring big money into ads for months.
Airbnb has run ads that use hosts to tout the benefits of home-sharing and warn that the bill passed by the New York State Legislature would harm those looking for additional ways to make ends meet to stay in the city.
ShareBetter has countered with spots accusing the company of engaging in tax avoidance schemes and its hosts of engaging in racial discrimination.
