Ethics, Campaign Finance Update for April 18

Here are link to ethics and campaign finance stories in the news and on the editorial pages today:

• a Daily News/New York Public Interest Research Group analysis finds that since 2004, 20 elected officials have spent a total of $6.78 million on legal fees related to criminal and ethical investigations against them;
• Republicans in the state Senate argue that the availability of public matching would “breed corruption”;
• in the NY Post, former Assembly Minority Leader (and candidate for Governor and Comptroller) John Faso argues that “[u]sing taxpayer dollars to fund political campaigns…is not an answer to corruption.”
• the Times Union’s Editorial Board wants the Attorney General to be responsible for enforcing Election Law violations, and supports of public financing of campaigns;
• the Journal News’ editorial board says that the State’s political reform plans must go further than what has been proposed this far;
• Albany County District Attorney David Soares is encouraged by Gov. Cuomo’s anti-corruption proposal, but feels that the state’s District Attorney’s will need additional resources;
• Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says he would welcome additional authority to deal with public corruption; and
• elected officials in Albany have managed to find some humor among the scandals.