Comptroller DiNapoli Will Not Participate in Public Financing Pilot Program

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli told the New York Times that he will not opt-in to the public financing “pilot” program that was enacted as part of the 2014-15 state budget, which would only apply to the Office of State Comptroller this election cycle.

Under the test program enacted in the budget, public funds will be made available to candidates for state comptroller who agree to limit their spending to $4 million each for the primary and general elections.  Donations less than $175 from adult New Yorkers – but not money from PACs, party committees, corporations or LLCs — will be matched with state funds at a 6-to-1 rate.

He told the Times that his is afraid that the enacted program “may actually have been designed to fail,” and he questioned whether the state Board of Elections will be able to properly oversee the program.

Through his campaign committee, Comptroller DiNapoli issued the following statement:

“The pilot program for public financing of the Comptroller election is a poor excuse to avoid the real reforms New Yorkers deserve. At this point, I cannot participate in this pilot. I was always willing to have reform start with the Comptroller’s office, but I will not be a convenient sacrificial lamb. I hope that before the legislative session ends, there will be comprehensive campaign finance reform, as well as a reconsideration of the proposal I advanced, with realistic timeframes for successful implementation.”

Common Cause/NY released a statement supporting the Comptroller’s decision.

Read more coverage of this from the State of Politics blog, the Daily News, the Journal News, Newsday and the AP.

Watch an interview with Comptroller DiNapoli here, (courtesy of WMHT public television).

This morning, a Cuomo Administration spokesman said that the administration is surprised by the Comptroller’s decision, and indicated that they are willing to modify it:

“We are surprised that the Comptroller is opting out, as this was the Comptroller’s bill to begin with. If he has specific concerns, we will modify the proposal, unless, of course, he just doesn’t want to do public financing.”

The take-away:  it is likely that we have not heard the last of public financing as a legislative issue.