Senate Republican Campaign Committee Looks to Quash Moreland Commission Subpoena

The long-anticipated showdown between Gov. Cuomo’s Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption and state legislators is underway, as lawyers for the New York State Senate Republican Campaign Committee (SRCC) moved earlier this week to quash a Commission subpoena seeking information on its housekeeping account and donors.

Housekeeping accounts are established by the political parties to pay overhead and administrative costs, but housekeeping funds cannot be used to support candidates.  Reform advocates have long called for the elimination of the accounts, because they allow donors to give unlimited donations and there is little (if any) enforcement of the law preventing such monies to be used on campaigns.

The SRCC argues that the Commission has overstepped its authority by issuing an overbroad, politically motivated subpoena that seeks SRCC’s “most sensitive internal documents.”  A spokesman for the state Democratic Party indicated that it intends to comply with the subpoena.

According to news reports, in a joint statement the Moreland Commission co-chairs expressed confidence that their subpoenas fall within their authority under the Executive Law and through their designation as deputy attorneys general:

“We had hoped the Senate Republicans would willingly cooperate and they did not.  We will prevail in court.”

Read the SRCC’s motion to quash the subpoena.

Reade news coverage from the AP, the Times Union, Capital NY and the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle.