The New York Times Calls for Limits on Donations to “Housekeeping” Accounts

The New York Times editorial board calls on Governor Cuomo to “do away with unlimited housekeeping account contributions.”

The editorial references the Manhattan D.A.’s prosecution of political operative John Haggerty and New York City Mayor Bloomberg’s $1.1 million contribution to the state Independence Party’s housekeeping account.

(Read background on the about the Haggerty prosecution in this prior post.)

According to the state Board of elections, “housekeeping accounts” are:

established by party and constituted committees for the maintenance of a permanent party headquarters and staff and to carry on ordinary activities which are not for the express purpose of promoting the candidacy of specific candidates.

During his 2010 campaign for Governor, candidate Cuomo called for imposing limits on “housekeeping” funds:

We must take necessary steps to achieve transparency by limiting soft money donations. Unlike federal law, New York State allows donations of an unlimited amount to party “housekeeping” accounts. The housekeeping loophole allows individuals and corporations to contribute unlimited funds to a political party. Political parties’ housekeeping accounts should no longer be exempted from contribution limits and…those limits should be significantly lowered.