Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio were both caught this week stuffing crowds with supporters.

From the desk of the NYGOP:

The two scorpions in a bottle are rubbing off on each other. Both Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio, who have upside down job approval ratings were embarrassingly caught this week trying to pad their audiences with paid supporters and invite-only guests.
Governor Cuomo was busted for his practice of using state workers on the taxpayer’s dime to fill the audience of his event with former Vice President Al Gore.

Via the New York Post:

Gov. Andrew Cuomo wasn’t taking any chances that there might be empty seats at a speech he delivered last week on climate change — so state workers were summoned on the taxpayer dime to fill the audience, The Post has learned.

The workers said they left their jobs in the middle of the day Thursday and were paid their full salaries to hear Cuomo at Columbia University announce the state was joining a global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“I’d rather be at the park,” said one of the workers, who is employed by the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and who has no connection to climate issues.

He explained that he went because his boss “asked me to make some time available in my schedule.”

The worker confessed that he didn’t know what the event was about before he agreed to go.

He said attendance is not required, but is viewed favorably, and that the practice is common throughout state government to support Cuomo.

Mayor de Blasio held a phony event open only to a chosen group handpicked by City Hall; he has yet to follow his predecessors and hold town hall meetings open to the real people of the City. He is, however, furthering his national ambitions by holding a “presidential” forum in Iowa in December.

Via the Daily Caller:

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio allegedly “handpicked” his allies to stack the deck at a town hall meeting Wednesday regarding rent security and tenant protection.

“Mayor de Blasio is using a public school building for a re-election rally disguised as a town hall meeting,”  Joseph Strasburg, president of the Rent Stabilization Association, told the New York Post. “The mayor and sponsors handpicked the attendees.”

A close ally of the Democratic mayor, Democratic City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, was in charge of selecting audience members from the audience of about 300 to ask questions.

“It’s a sham audience packed with supporters only, and anyone else who shows up will be placed in another room outside of the main venue and not be allowed to ask questions,” Strasburg added.

Governor Cuomo should reimburse the state out of his well-padded campaign account for this gross misuse of tax dollars and Mayor de Blasio should hold a real town hall meeting open to the public, who will tell him that crime is going up, quality of life is going down and the public education system is an embarrassment.

New Yorkers are suffering under the highest taxes, the most residents fleeing a state and the worst business climate. Enough with the political theatrics; it’s time to focus on reform and good government.