Ethics and Campaign Finance Reform Update

The New York Times reports that a number of “major political donors” have signed onto a letter urging Gov. Cuomo to push for a publicly-funded campaign finance system in New York State.  The signatories, who include financier George Soros, seem to be appealing to Gov. Cuomo’s national ambitions.

In the Daily News, former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley writes in support of a small-donor public matching funds program.  He argues that providing a tax-payer funded match to every legitimate small donation will reduce the influence of “special interest money” and its “pervasive role in politics.”

 Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb has introduced a bill, The Public Officers Accountability Act (A.7393).  Among other things, his bill would that would replace unveiled a proposal that would replace the 14-member JCOPE with a new “Commission on Official Conduct,” whose five members would be appointed by the Chief Judges of the Court of Appeals and the Presiding Justices of each Appellate Division.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Gov. Cuomo said that JCOPE was the best he could get passed in 2011.

Finally, next Wednesday (May 29^th) is Fair Elections Lobby Day in Albany.