Attorney General Charges Niagara Falls Councilman With Failure to File Campaign Finance Reports

nysboe_logoState Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, in conjunction with the State Board of Elections’ Chief Enforcement Counsel Risa Sugarman, has announced the filing of a complaint against Niagara Falls City Councilman for failure to file campaign finance reports with the State Board of Elections in 2014 and 2015.

Niagara Falls City Councilman Charles Walker is charged with four counts of the Class A misdemeanor of Knowingly and Willfully Failing to File Statements in violation of Election Law § 14-126(4). He pled not guilty and was released on his own recognizance.  Each charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail.

Attorney General Schneiderman said:

“Campaign finance laws exist for a reason – to protect voters and keep our democratic process honest and transparent.  Today’s charges send the message that elected officials will be held accountable if they fail to obey the very laws they are sworn to uphold.”