Special Prosecutor’s Indictments Undermine Capable NYC Campaign Finance Board
Two members of New York City Councilwoman Debi Rose’s 2009 election campaign were indicted on criminal charges brought by a special prosecutor.
Yesterday, two members of New York City Councilwoman Debi Rose’s 2009 election campaign were indicted on criminal charges brought by a special prosecutor. Michael Waldman, President of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, issued the following statement:
“The New York City Campaign Finance Board is widely considered the nation’s gold standard in administering a complex and well-regarded system of public campaign finance. The Board has dozens of professionals with deep experience in the city’s campaign finance system. Yesterday’s indictments and the criminal investigation that preceded them have disrupted the Board’s consistent and thorough investigative process, and could needlessly complicate what is a reliable regulatory system. They set a bad precedent, creating uncertainty and the potential for disparate enforcement of the City’s campaign finance laws.”
For more information or to speak with an expert, contact Naren Daniel at (646) 292–8381 or naren.daniel@nyu.edu.
Read an op-ed by Brennan Center Chief Counsel Frederick A.O. Schwarz in The New York Law Journal on the New York City Campaign Finance Board and the appointment of a special prosecutor in this case.
Read more about the Brennan Center’s work on campaign finance reform in New York.