RepresentUs NYC Statement on Decision Tossing Out State Public Financing

Statement from RepresentUs NYC on Decision Overturning Campaign Finance Recommendations

RepresentUS NYC hails today’s Court decision tossing out the Public Campaign Financing and Election Commission’s unconstitutional and anti-democratic recommendations. 

Public campaign finance is key for ending political corruption. However, what happened here, from beginning to end, was a textbook example of political corruption in action. 

The Legislature failed to act on campaign finance reform, instead delegating their lawmaking authority to an unelected Commission. They then let the Commission’s recommendations become law, doing nothing between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2019 to make the necessary changes. In addition to a weak and overly complicated public campaign finance plan, the Commission’s changes to ballot access requirements sought to eliminate the Working Families Party (WFP) and other third parties who might provide political competition.

We are relieved that this blatant power grab was found unconstitutional. We are thrilled that a measure of justice has been done. And we re-dedicate ourselves to the cause of clean and representative government in New York. The legislature should embrace its constitutional responsibility and enact true campaign finance reform as soon as possible.