New York Times on New York’s ‘Source of Funding’ Disclosure Mandate

Today’s New York Times includes an article titled “Nonprofits Are Balking at Law on Disclosing Political Donors” that looks at New York’s relatively new ‘source of funding’ disclosure requirement.

In a nutshell, New York’s disclosure mandate requires certain advocacy organizations that lobby in New York to report to the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) the source and amount of funding they receive in excess of $5,000 that supports the organization’s lobbying activities.  This reporting mandate was adopted as part of the state’s 2011 ethics reforms, and became effective in July 2012. [Read JCOPE’s source of funding FAQ here.]

The Times article focuses on the growing number of non-profit organizations – from the right and the left – that are seeking exemptions from disclosure because their donors might face “harm, threats, harassment, or reprisals,” It looks at similar efforts around the nation to require advocacy groups to disclose their funding sources, but says that New York “has emerged as a central battleground for efforts to mandate greater disclosure.”

A spokesperson for Gov. Cuomo defended the effort to require greater disclosure:

“For far too long, the world of tax-exempt groups, operating unregulated as lobbying entities, has been in need of sunshine and reform.  Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York is the most progressive state in the nation in that pursuit, while abiding by federal case law considering safety exemptions.”

Read my blog post on the issue here, written when JCOPE said that it would stop exempting groups from donor disclosure requirements while it reviewed its application process.