Ethics, Elections and Campaign Finance Update, Sept.3

Back and from vacation, and it’s time to catch up on some recent stories of interest…

Gov. Cuomo has signed into law “The Election Night Poll Site Procedure Act” (Chapter 334 of 2013), which is intended to streamline election night vote counting, particularly in New York City, by (among other things) permitting local election boards to use voting machines’ portable memory devices to store and transfer election results to a central location after the polls close.

Last week, the Daily News reported that Gov. Cuomo said that the Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption can “look at whatever they want to look at” – even him. He said “If this doesn’t give people faith and trust, I don’t know what else can.”

In Monday’s New York Post, columnist Fred Dicker – citing unnamed Cuomo aides – said that the Cuomo administration is worried about where the Moreland Commission to Investigate on Public Corruption is heading. But earlier today, a Cuomo spokesman told Susan Arbetter that “It’s simply not true.”

In the Daily News yesterday, Ken Lovett reported that the Assembly has hired an outside law firm, Kasowtiz, Benson, Torres & Friedman, to deal with the Moreland Commission on the Assembly’s behalf.

The New York Times reports those outside groups have made more than $3 million in independent expenditures in the New York City mayoral race as of August 31^st. (Read more on this from the New York World.) I’m sure there will be much more spent in the next week before the primary election.

The Assembly’s Ethics and Guidance Committee met at 1:00 pm today, going into Executive Session. They gave no indication as to their agenda, though it has been suggested that they plan to take up the matter relating to Assemblyman Micah Kellner.

The Journal News’ LoHud blog reports that Westchester Board of Legislators Chairman Ken Jenkins has introduced legislation that to set up a system of public financing for local campaigns, comparable to what is in place in New York City.

Finally, the NY World reports that it has joined with NYPIRG and Common Cause to create a database showing each state legislator’s income, assets, investments and debts.