Check off one rumor as false: David Cappiello, the former state senator who managed Linda McMahon’s U.S. Senate campaign, will not be returning to the Senate Republican staff.
Cappiello has accepted a job as vice president of development for Ability Beyond Disability, a non-profit that provides a range of services to people with disabilities.
The over-active State Capitol rumor mill had Cappiello returning as a senior aide to Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, a post Cappiello held before joining the McMahon campaign.
His hiring was announced today by Ability Beyond Disability’s president and CEO, Thomas H. Fanning.
“Our success depends on our ability to grow and provide services to more people who will need our help now, and in the future,” Fanning said. “In order to do that we need to raise more money from new sources of support, and I am certain that David’s leadership, knowledge and personal and professional experience will assure our success.”
The organization has offices in Bethel and Mount Kisco, N.Y., near Cappiello’s home in Danbury.
Cappiello oversaw McMahon’s successful strategy to win the GOP nomination at the Republican State Convention. In his job, though, he’ll face a challenge of no concern to McMahon’s self-funded campaign — raising money.
“State budgets are being faced with the largest deficits in their history,” Cappiello said. “Organizations are hurting and are counting on philanthropic dollars to survive. I am committed to leading efforts to raise more money for Ability Beyond Disability so that we can continue to be a nationally recognized provider of services for people with disabilities.”