Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney curiously paid his husband’s personal trainer as a “part-time employee” from both taxpayer and campaign funds.
Erick Ramos was paid $2,608.66 by the Office of the Chairman of the New York Democrat and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) from April to May 2021 and was listed as a “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 to Instagram, tagging Ramos and referring to him as Florke and Maloney’s “personal trainer.”
Ramos described himself as a “personal trainer” and “natural athlete” in his Instagram bio. Maloney’s office said Ramos was paid to drive.
Maloney is pictured above with his husband and two of their children
His Facebook page states that he has been employed by John Hardy as Chief Security Officer since 2018.
The office said the congressman’s regular driver, who is also listed as a “part-time employee,” went on paternity leave and Ramos was brought in to fill in for him.
In a call set up by Maloney’s office, checked with the congressman’s usual driver, who said he took paternity leave between March and May 2021 and took it off again from September to October 2021.
On May 13, 2021, Florke released a training video and tagged Ramos, whose name is 3rick_ramos1993.
In response to a comment on his post, Florke replied to a comment saying he’s at his home gym and telling the follower to hire my trainer. He is great. @3rick_ramos.’
Maloney’s husband Randy Florke posts a workout video and tags trainer Erick Ramos
At the same time, Ramos works as the couple’s personal trainer, he was employed as a driver for the congressional bureau and the campaign
Florke tagged Ramos in a July 2021 post
On March 24, 2021, Florke posted a training video of himself and Maloney, again tagging Ramos. On June 24, 2021, Florke posted a shirtless photo of himself and captioned it, “Hiked Mt. Beacon this morning with my trainer @3rick_ramos1993 instead of our regular workout.”
On three other occasions in June and July, Florke posted workout content on social media and tagged Ramos.
Maloney’s office claimed Ramos received taxpayer money “exclusively” for driving duties, and questioning the payments is “blatant homophobia.”
“Congratulations to the Chron on their shocking discovery that Rep. Maloney and his husband are exercising! Furthermore, there is nothing in this article other than blatant homophobia and another baseless attack on a person of color who worked for Rep. Maloney,” said Mia Ehrenberg, Maloney’s director of communications, in a statement.
The driver who went on paternity leave is black.
Another post by Florke with Ramos tagged
‘Rep. Maloney’s driver had a baby and had to say goodbye. During this time, Mr. Ramos briefly filled in as a driver and was paid solely for that role.’
The Maloney campaign had a similar story.
‘Mister. Ramos stepped in as driver from late March 2021 to May 2021 when the current driver was furloughed. He also stepped in as a driver a few times in the fall of 2021 when needed,” a spokesman said.
Florke and Maloney have been together since 1992 and have three adopted children. Florke works as an interior designer in Cold Spring, New York. Maloney has been in Congress since 2013.
Maloney is up against Republican lawmaker Mike Lawler in November in a competitive district the Cook Political Report classifies as “leaning Democratic.”
Maloney and Florke will train together in March 2021
Ramos coached her during the sweat session
Florke marks his trainer at a hike in Mt. Beacon, NY in June 2021
Lawler’s campaign criticized the “unusual financial arrangement” in a statement to .
“The Erick Ramos controversy stinks to high heaven, but Sean Maloney seems to think he doesn’t have ethics rules,” campaign spokesman Bill O’Reilly said. “That’s what happens when you’re a Washington insider for too long. The more Mr. Maloney tries to run away from it, the more questions arise.’
The DCCC could not be reached for comment.
Maloney made waves in the Democratic Party earlier this year when, following the release of a new district map, he announced that he would run for office in the new district where he lives, although it overlaps heavily with Rep. Mondaire Jones’ district, which prompted Jones to run for office in New York City.
Across the country, there were complaints about Maloney over the DCCC’s decision to put far-right candidates in Republican primaries they believed would have an easier time beating in the general election.
This isn’t the first time Maloney’s personnel picks 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 it, “executive assistant.”
“I was with the congressman pretty much everywhere in the district he went — if he went to a meeting, if he went for a run. I would drive him anywhere he needed to go,” he told the Post.
“When I started, my main job was to make sure the congressman and his family never needed anything,” Leath recalls. ‘I should be there.’
“Everything I was paid for was either for his campaign, initially, or to do something for him.”