Twelve canvassers sued Mike Lawler, his campaign and seven other defendants in federal court on Friday, accusing them of wage violations, discrimination and retaliation tied to a September canvassing operation in Westchester County. The complaint, filed in the Southern District of New York, says the workers were recruited from Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, Maryland and Michigan and then pulled into a pay setup that fell far short of what they say they were promised.
The filings say the operation was built around a flyer that offered "$2 A DOOR," "$1,500 - $3,000 WEEKLY BASE PAY + BONUSES," "HOUSING COVERED WE TAKE CARE OF YOUR STAY" and "TRAVEL COVERED GET TO NEW YORK ON US." Once the workers arrived, they say they were told at orientation they would get $1 per door instead. They also allege they were required to knock on 100 doors a day to keep their accommodation, while promised travel reimbursements were later withdrawn.
For the plaintiffs, the numbers are the center of the case. They say they worked 70 to 84 hours a week without minimum wages or overtime, and one canvasser, Bernardette Hurtte-Reid, says she was paid just $275. Another, Sceletia Evans, says she received nothing at all. The complaint also says the workers were deliberately recruited from faraway states to make it harder for them to leave once they were in New York.
The lawsuit adds another layer by describing racist, ageist and religious discrimination, but those alleged remarks are attributed to people working for contractors rather than to Mike Lawler himself, even though he is named personally in the suit. That distinction matters because the case is not just about pay. It is also about who controlled the worksite, the housing and the day-to-day pressure the canvassers say they faced while trying to get out of the arrangement.
The case lands just before the midterms and follows Donald Trump's Saturday endorsement of Lawler, whom Trump called a "true America First Patriot" and a "Strong Champion" while saying, "Mike Lawler has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election." The suit has not been adjudicated, and no findings of wrongdoing have been made, but it now puts the mechanics of a campaign operation under the glare of a federal courtroom at the same moment Lawler is trying to turn Trump's backing into political strength. first reported the lawsuit.
