The Federal Election Commission has recommended that the prohibition
of the personal use of campaign funds be extended to apply to all political committees, including leadership PACs.
Prohibition
of Personal Use of Campaign Funds The Budget bars using campaign contributions for personal use.
Not exact matches
On February 13, Cohen, who facilitated the transaction
using a trumporg.com email address, told The New York Times in a statement, «I
used my own
personal funds to facilitate a payment
of $ 130,000... Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump
campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly.»
Finally, the
use of this $ 130,000 could also violate prohibitions on
personal use of campaign funds by a federal candidate.
While there are a number
of expenditures that raise questions, several experts consulted by City & State made the point that the legal definition
of what constitutes a legitimate
use of campaign funds in New York State is extremely broad, and that even expenses that seemed like
personal use on their face could actually be allowable based on the letter
of the law.
In its preliminary report issued to the public in December, the Moreland Commission concluded there were «few rules limiting the
personal use of campaign funds and even less enforcement.»
-- MOUNT VERNON MAYOR ARRESTED — Journal News» Jonathan Bandler and Jorge Fitz - Gibbons: «Mayor Richard Thomas was arrested Monday, accused
of stealing more than $ 12,000 from his political
campaign and diverting more than $ 45,000 from his inaugural committee in what the state Attorney General's Office called a wide - ranging scheme to
use those
funds as his «
personal piggybanks.»
Lots
of New York pols just straight up
use campaign funds for
personal use.
He says they condoned the growing
use of Limited Liability Corporations to skirt existing donation limits, and they loosely defined how politicians could spend their
campaign funds on
personal uses.
-- Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas was indicted on charges
of stealing
campaign funds and failing to disclose that he
used inaugural
funds for
personal expenses.
Permissible and non-permissible
uses of campaign funds must be clarified, and non-
campaign related,
personal uses of any kind prohibited and enforced.»
Cuomo has highlighted
of his inclusion in this year's budget
of a ban on the
personal use of campaign funds, as he promotes his commitment to ethics reform.
Such
funds shall not be converted by any person to a
personal use which is unrelated to a political
campaign or the holding
of a public office or party position.»
The governor also said he would push for a change to the state constitution that would deprive a convicted public official
of a pension, end the
use of campaign funds for
personal use and curtail legislative «per diem» payments to cover only actual expenses.
Thomas Accused
of Stealing
Campaign Funds, Establishing a Slush
Fund for
Personal Use from His Inaugural
Fund, and Falsely Filing Disclosure Reports with the State Board
of Elections and Mount Vernon Board
of Ethics MT. VERNON — Attorney General Eric -LSB-...]
EFCC insisted that whereas the
fund was earmarked for
campaign activities
of the PDP, Metuh diverted most
of it to his
personal use.
While city rules don't require reimbursement, city Comptroller Scott Stringer has contributed $ 1,702.02 from his
campaign fund and
personal piggy bank to cover the cost
of using his government SUV on noncity business since taking office in January 2014, his office said.
Early on Wednesday the NYPost reported that «Queens Assemblyman William Scarborough was hit Wednesday morning with a 23 - count indictment charging him with
using campaign funds for
personal expenses, authorities said.Scarborough, a Democrat first elected in 1994 to represent the 29th Assembly District in southeast Queens, was arrested following a joint probe by the offices
of state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.»
Thomas allegedly diverted $ 45,000 from the 2015 Friends
of Richard Thomas
campaign fund for
personal use.
The measures include new restrictions on the
personal use of campaign funds and would bar the
use of campaign cash for a criminal defense.
The
personal use ban does not include a limit on spending
campaign funds for legal fees (Which Gov. Andrew Cuomo himself has done during the investigation
of the Moreland Commission by the U.S. attorney's office).
EFCC insisted that whereas the
fund was earmarked for
campaign activities
of the PDP, it said Metuh diverted most
of it to his
personal use.
Ellen Weintraub, the FEC's vice chairwoman, said she has a «long track record»
of expressing concerns about political candidates
using campaign funds for
personal use but said that the «request you've made is tailored.»
That means greater disclosure
of business and law clients from legislators» side jobs, a ban on the
personal use of campaign funds, greater safeguards for per diem reimbursement, pension forfeiture for lawmakers convicted
of public corruption and greater disclosure by independent expenditure
campaign accounts.
In an article published online Monday morning, NY Post columnist John Crudele reported that upstate FBI agents are reviewing allegations
of voter fraud, fraudulent nominating petition signatures and possibly
personal use of campaign funds by Bronx officials connected to the Bronx Democratic County Committee.
The restrictions on all
personal use of campaign funds as well as the full disclosure
of legislators» outside incomes and public financing
of all state
campaigns by 2018 would be major achievements if passed.
Eldridge, the spouse
of Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, has been criticized repeatedly for
using the couple's
personal wealth to
fund his
campaign, while little mention is made that Gibson's
campaign depends primarily on finance, insurance, and investment entities.
He also proposed that lawmakers convicted
of corruption be required to forfeit their taxpayer -
funded pensions, that per diems be given either to reimburse specific travel expenses or as a lump sum, and that more stringent
campaign finance laws be enacted to prevent
campaign funds from going to
personal use.
Cuomo wants to force legislators to disclose all outside income, eliminate pensions for lawmakers convicted
of public corruption and stop the
use of campaign funds for
personal expenses.
The preliminary report includes strong recommendations for lowering sky - high
campaign contribution limits, closing loopholes, restricting the
personal use of campaign funds, disclosing independent expenditures, and creating an independent enforcement agency.
What is notable is what is not in the agreement — legislative compensation overhaul, desperately needed stronger ethics enforcement with greater public transparency
of votes, comprehensive
campaign finance reform with public financing that closes the LLC loophole and bans all
personal use of campaign funds, strong disclosure and accountability for all executive and legislative discretionary lump sum
funds, and a commitment to undertake the necessary examination and full - scale overhaul
of our ethics and
campaign finance laws.
I
use funds from my
campaign account rather than
using taxpayer dollars to pay for additional expenses because
of my
personal commitment to providing the highest quality services to my constituents.»
Other changes prevent abuse
of legislative stipends and prevent
personal use of campaign funds.
He also wants to end the practice
of using campaign funds for
personal spending.
He would limit soft money in
campaigns, tighten disclosure and prohibit
personal use of campaign funds.
Mount Vernon Mayor Richard W. Thomas has been indicted by a grand jury, Wednesday on charges that he stole
campaign funds and failed to disclose his receipt
of inaugural
funds that he
used for
personal expenses, the New York State Attorney General's office has confirmed for Black Westchester.
He suggested that it hewed closely to a five - point plan he unveiled last month, which included enhanced disclosure requirements, per diem reform, a ban on
personal use of campaign funds, and stiffer penalties for ethics violations.
Supporters
of Mr. Cuomo's proposals — which include increased disclosure
of outside income, restricting
personal use of campaign funds and pension forfeiture for public officials convicted
of crimes — say they would probably cost little to put into effect.
«We look at
personal use (
of campaign funds),» she said.
Cuomo outlined several changes he said should take place, including full disclosure
of all outside income for legislators; stopping the
personal use of campaign funds; updating
campaign finance laws to require more disclosure; and removing state pensions from lawmakers convicted
of public corruption.
We need real ethics reforms: eliminating pension benefits for convicted corrupt officials, a ban on
personal use of campaign funds, a full - time legislature with sharp limits on conflicts
of interest, and full - disclosure requirements for
personal finances.
Legislators»
personal use of campaign funds: The commission is especially concerned about
campaign expenses that are listed as «unitemized» with no explanation for
use.
The plan by Cuomo and the Assembly and would place greater restrictions on
personal use of campaign funds, but elected officials could still
use the money to pay for criminal defense attorneys.
Cuomo proposes to extend a system
of public
campaign finance to all statewide offices and legislative races, ban the
use of campaign funds for
personal expenses, require the disclosure
of outside income and the clients who supported it and change the state Constitution to allow prosecutors to claw back the pensions
of officials convicted
of public corruption.
When asked about this
use of funds from a state
campaign committee, the FEC directed Crain's to its 1996 determination that candidates may not allocate nonfederal
campaign dollars toward a federal
campaign unless the money comes from their
personal funds.
Present local law fails to reasonably preclude — and could actually enable — county officers and employees from accepting an overabundance
of questionable gifts, skirting
campaign contribution limits through the
use of the LLC loophole, abusing their offices and taxpayer
funded items to freely self - promote their
personal names and images (or «brand»), and awarding contracts to those vendors who unabashedly pay to play in county government.
He is also calling for a ban on the
personal use of campaign funds, saying that «a long list
of expressly prohibited expenditures would be memorialized in statute.»
Espada stands accused by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo
of using Soundview's accounts as his
personal ATM, and is said to have
used up to $ 14 million
of its money to
fund his political
campaigns and lavish lifestyle.
In December, Darr agreed to an $ 11,000 fine imposed by the Arkansas Ethics Commission and accepted its finding
of 11 breaches
of regulations and statutes including converting
campaign funds to
personal use and receiving improper expense reimbursements from taxpayer
funds.
Personal use of campaign funds: The commission is investigating
campaign committees that live on long after a legislator leaves office.