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ADVOCACY FOR GOVERNMENTAL REFORM
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| CAMPAIGN FINANCEETHICS & LOBBYINGPUBLIC FINANCEREDISTRICTINGTRANSPARENCY |
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| Governmental Reform: Campaign Finance |
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Summary of Current Action
The League believes campaign finance reform is the pathway to solving other major state problems, including increasing voter participation , enabling candidates to compete more equitably for public office, and lessening the impact of special interests on governmental processes,
Meaningful campaign finance reform encompasses both public finance for elections to state office, restrictions on the amount and sources of money that candidates can accept when running for office, comprehensive disclosure of contributions, both those made directly to candidates’ campaigns and expenditures made by individuals and organizations independently of campaigns to influence elections, and limitations on how campaign contributions may be used by candidates.
In reviewing various campaign finance reform proposals that require disclosure or prohibit activity, the League considers four areas:
- Does the bill contain sufficient limitations on and prohibition of undesirable activities;
- Does the bill require adequate disclosure of those items that cannot or should not be prohibited;
- Are the penalties for violation sufficient to compel required disclosure and dissuade prohibited behavior;
- Is the enforcement body sufficiently empowered and nonpartisan to punish violators efficiently and effectively?
A meaningful system of campaign finance regulation must address all four areas, for if any element is omitted the system will not function to achieve desired results.
The League supports the following limitations and prohibitions:
- Reduction of contribution limits to levels more consistent with standards;
- Reduction of aggregated annual contribution limit per donor: $25,000;
- Reduction of aggregated annual contribution limit to party and constituted committees $5,000;
- Reduction of contributions by lobbyists and members of lobbyists’ households: the lesser of 10% of the federal contribution limit (now $230) or one-half of the contribution limit otherwise applicable for the office;
- Ban on contributions for uncontested primaries;
- Ban on personal use of campaign funds by candidates in accordance with federal standards;
- Ban on anonymous political advertising;
- Ban on unlimited contributions by housekeeping accounts;
- Ban on contributions from corporations, subsidiaries, LLCs, PLLCs, partnerships or
labor unions, as under federal law. Like citizens and other causes, they may create PACs that may contribute up to the personal contribution limit;Ban on loans in excess of the appropriate contribution limit. Loans are treated as contributions if not repaid by the appropriate election;
- Ban on use of contributions to pay fines and attorneys fees;
- Mandatory wrap-up of campaign committees within a specified period after officeholder leaves office (to prevent ongoing use of campaign funds);
- Transfers between campaign accounts limited and reported as contributions;
- Ban on housekeeping accounts;
- Ban contributions from corporations, subsidiaries, LLCs, PLLCs, partnerships or labor unions, as under federal law. Like citizens and other causes, they may create PACs that may contribute up to the personal contribution limit;
- Transfers between campaign accounts treated as contributions.
The League supports the following disclosure:
- Candidate disclosure with the State Board of Elections in a uniform format, which can be made available to the public on-line;
- Disclosure similar to that required of candidates for those individuals or groups who expend or contribute $100 or more for materials independent of the candidate’s campaign;
- Increased and more timely reporting of contributions and expenditures, especially immediately prior to an election;
- Mandatory reporting, even for uncontested primaries;
- New reporting requirements for bundling contributions;
- Immediate Internet disclosure of alleged violations of campaign finance laws and dispositions;
- Reporting of contributor’s occupation and employer.
The League believes that major violations of campaign finance law should be felonies. Past history in New York State shows that misdemeanor violations are insufficient to obtain meaningful compliance in many instances. Civil penalties and criminal also should be increased to further deter noncompliance.
The League supports the following characteristics in an enforcement body:
- Independent and nonpartisan;
- Adequately financed;
- Power to conduct independent audits;
- Subpoena power;
- Automatic enforcement and collection of civil penalties by administrative action, as opposed to court action;
- Cooperation with other ethics enforcement bodies.
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Current Bills (To access current bills, click here and type in the bill number, i.e. A1234 or S1234)
Campaign Finance Reform, Enforcement, Transparency, and Accountability Act of 2008.
At a June 11 2008 press conference the League unveiled its proposal for campaign finance reform, the Campaign Finance Reform, Enforcement, Transparency and Accountability Act of 2008, in response to the failure of both Governor Patterson and the legislature to engage in bipartisan negotiations for meaningful campaign finance reform.
See below for more information.
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Recent Testimony
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Recent Memos
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Recent Letters, Press Releases, Op Ed Pieces, and Press Coverage
2012
2010
- Press Release (12/8/2010) Groups Urge Governor-Elect Cuomo to Use Executive Powers to Advance Consumer, Environmental, Health, Higher Education and Reform Issues.
- Press Release (12/8/2010) Groups Urge Governor-Elect Cuomo to Use Executive Powers to Advance Consumer, Environmental, Health, Higher Education and Reform Issues.
- Press Release (11/22/2010) Good government groups issued a report on eleven executive orders the new Governor can take immediately to make New York government more open, accountable and democratic.
2009
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League Position |
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Non-League Written Materials
- Examining Turnover in the New York State Legislature, 1999 to 2010 Update, Citizens Union (2/2011)
- Ethics, a PowerPoint Presentation prepared for Albany on the Record, Brennan Center For Justice, NYU School of Law, May, 2010.
- Lobbying, a PowerPoint Presentation prepared for Albany on the Record, Brennan Center For Justice, NYU School of Law, May, 2010
- Citizens Union Report on Turnover in the New York State Legislature, 1999 to 2009; Ethical Misconduct Increasingly the Cause for Legislators Leaving (11/2009).
- Testimony to the Assembly Committees on Governmental Operations, Election Law, and Ethics and Guidance on New York State Government Ethics, Citizens Union (6/8/2009)
- Testimony to the Senate Standing Committee on Ethics on Draft Commission on Government Ethics bill and Draft Disclosure by Public Officials bill, Citizens Union (5/28/2009 )
- An Investigation of an Allegation That Herbert Teitelbaum, Executive Director of the Commission on Public Integrity, Inappropriately Disclosed Confidential Commission Information Related to Its Troopergate Investigation and An Investigation of the Appropriateness of the Commission on Public Integrity’s Response Upon Receiving the Allegations Against Its Executive Director Joseph Fisch, State Inspector General, State of NewYork, (May, 2009)
- Ethics Reform Act Of 2009, NYPIRG (2/2009)
- Still Broken: New York State Legislative Reform 2008 Update, Brennan Center For Justice, NYU School Of Law.
- Unfinished Business: New York State Legislative Reform 2006 Update, Brennan Center For Justice, NYU School of Law
- Strengthening Ethics In New York: The Ethics In Government Act Of 2006, Brennan Center For Justice, NYU School Of Law (1/2006)
- Subject To Influence: New York State Agency Contracting, NYPIRG, 12/2004
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| Archived Materials |
| Contact the League Office to request archived materials. |
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