«The majority decision ignores both the Court's own precedent and common sense regarding the corrupting influence
of unlimited contributions to parties or candidates if they are spread across different committees,» Schneiderman said.
Not exact matches
Being able to give massive political
contributions actually pales in comparison to the impact
of being able to destroy a publication you don't like by combining the machinery
of the courts with anonymity and
unlimited funds to bleed a publication dry.
But being able to give massive political
contributions actually pales in comparison to the impact
of being able to destroy a publication you don't like by combining the machinery
of the courts with anonymity and
unlimited funds to bleed a publication dry.
They assembled a Supreme Court to rule in favor
of unlimited hidden corporate political
contributions.
At the moment, a single campaign donor can give
unlimited contributions through a network
of limited liability companies or LLCs.
The rules vary at the state level — at least six states allow
unlimited contributions from all types
of donors, while others ban donations from corporations and other businesses entirely.
Longtime League
of Women Voters lobbyist Barbara Bartoletti expressed frustration at the lack
of action on items including closing a giant campaign finance loophole that allows big money donors to make
unlimited contributions to candidates by setting up multiple Limited Liability Companies.
Thursday's filings lay bare those donations and other jaw - dropping financial details
of the first modern presidential campaign in which donors could give
unlimited contributions for political ads and in which both major party candidates declined to participate in a Watergate - era public financing system designed to limit fundraising.
Cuomo normally prefers to negotiate quietly with legislative leaders on proposals before actually writing legislation, but this time he's penned eight different versions
of a bill to close the campaign donation loophole that allows
unlimited contributions from limited liability companies and he's presented it to the legislature.
Under state law, the party committees, which can receive
contributions often 10 times larger than candidates can directly, are permitted to move
unlimited amounts
of money into candidates» campaign accounts.
Our analysis underscores how
unlimited campaign
contributions - as limited liability companies effectively have no limits - warp our elections and result in important policy decisions being driven by the demands
of wealthy special interests.
Soft money accounts, known as «housekeeping» committees, allow political groups to raise
unlimited contributions in support
of generalized, party - building actions.
If there is anything recent events have taught us, it's that we need to limit the outsized influence
of wealthy corporate donors, who have been able to influence lawmakers by making virtually
unlimited campaign
contributions to candidates — often without even disclosing their identities.
A coalition
of groups on Monday urged the state Board
of Elections to prohibit the practice
of allowing individual donors to give
unlimited campaign
contributions through a network
of limited liability corporations.
The state Business Council on Wednesday urged the Board
of Elections in a letter to not end what in effect has been a regulation allowing
unlimited campaign
contributions through LLCs.
«However, I will not unilaterally disarm and allow my opponent to pour
unlimited contributions into his campaign while mine continues to accept less than half
of what is permitted under current law.»
The loophole that allows those controlling Limited Liability Companies to donate essentially
unlimited amounts
of campaign
contributions is an example
of the loophole that swallows the law.
Close the «LLC» Loophole, which allows an individual to make an essentially
unlimited number
of political
contributions via the Limited Liability Companies they control — a common tactic
of real estate moguls.
However, since there is no limit on the number
of LLCs a corporation or an individual may create, it effectively allows
unlimited campaign
contributions.
On ethics, Cuomo proposed requiring state lawmakers to seek an advisory opinion on any outside income and closing an election - law loophole that allows companies to skirt
contribution maximums by forming an
unlimited number
of subsidiaries to channel donations.
Cuomo normally prefers to negotiate quietly with legislative leaders on proposals before actually penning legislation, but this time he's written eight different versions
of a bill to close the campaign donation loophole that allows
unlimited contributions from limited liability companies (LLCs), and he's presented it to the legislature.
The city Campaign Finance Board Wednesday found Mayor de Blasio broke no
contribution limitation rules by raising
unlimited donations through an outside fund — then immediately issued a de facto rebuke
of the tactic.
David Weprin: Well, clearly when you're dealing with an opponent that is not part
of the system, who has
unlimited funds, as the recent election we just went through with the mayor
of the city
of New York, I would remove the individual cap on
contributions for donors and go to a much higher cap similar to the one that's at the state level for the governor
of the state
of New York.
Cuomo's prescriptions in his 2016 State
of the State speech included closing a legal loophole that lets campaign donors funnel
unlimited sums to candidates through limited - liability companies; requiring office holders to report campaign
contributions every 60 days instead
of twice a year; allowing lawmakers to earn no more than 15 percent
of their legislative salaries in private - sector work; and adopting a system
of voluntary public campaign financing similar to what New York City has.
Cuomo wants to close a loophole in election law that allows for
unlimited contributions through LLCs, as well as a bill to block those convicted
of corruption from receiving pension benefits through a constitutional amendment's first passage.
Cuomo also announced measures designed to better regulate 501 (c)(4) entities that engaged in an
unlimited form
of lobbying and disclose financial
contributions as well those received in - kind.
Senate Democrats on Monday unveiled a package
of ethics reform legislation that would cap outside income, strengthen disclosure requirements and close a loophole in campaign finance laws that guarantees
unlimited contributions from limited liability corporations.
The American Majority Project (AMP) is the new kid on the block, a 527 group — meaning it is allowed by law to accept
unlimited contributions — formed in recent days with the backing
of Republican heavyweights such as former Florida governor Jeb Bush and an advisory board that includes former congressman Robin Hayes (N.C.), former Republican National Committee chairman Mike Duncan and GOP superlawyer Ben Ginsberg.
Gianaris,
of Queens, insisted that because Bruno is no longer an office holder or candidate, the money he gave to the Senate GOP's main campaign account should be considered a donation, not an
unlimited transfer, and capped at the legal $ 109,600
contribution limit.
Mr. Cuomo's office had no immediate response to the proposal, which also included a plan to close the so - called L.L.C. loophole, which allows corporate interests to spend almost
unlimited amounts
of money on campaigns by channeling
contributions through limited liability companies, which can be designed to provide little transparency.
The groups are seeking major changes in the wake
of the arrest and conviction
of the two majority party legislative leaders, including banning or strictly limiting outside income, and closing loopholes in the campaign finance system that in some cases allow for
unlimited contributions.
This bizarre legal loophole allows essentially
unlimited contributions to state political campaigns by allowing people to make
contributions via an
unlimited number
of Limited Liability Corporations, or shell companies.
Since then, certain donors have taken advantage
of this loophole to set up numerous LLC's in order to make virtually
unlimited campaign
contributions.
The city Campaign Finance Board found NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio did not break
contribution limitation rules by raising
unlimited contributions through his Campaign for One New York fund — then immediately issued a de facto rebuke
of the tactic.
The Republican Party filed a lawsuit Thursday to overturn the ban on
unlimited campaign
contributions that is the cornerstone
of a 2002 law designed to reduce the influence
of big donors in politics.
The «LLC loophole,» which permits large business interests to set up an
unlimited number
of «paper» companies in order to bypass
contribution limits, has been a frequent target for liberals like Mr. Schneiderman in recent months.
Those limits on candidate donations have been dramatically surpassed by the increasingly common practice
of using nonprofit groups as a vehicle to make
unlimited contributions to independent political committees.
The state needs to close damaging loopholes that allow
unlimited donations for party slush funds or that allow the creation
of multiple limited liability corporations to evade
contribution limits.
But other political observers saw in the announcement a chance for Cuomo to boost his profile in several national debates — possibly in advance
of a presidential run in 2016 — as well as a convenient mechanism to take
unlimited contributions for ads that, while not explicitly urging people to vote for Cuomo or anybody else, present a glowing portrayal
of his actions.
Because
of a loophole in state law, businesses incorporated as LLC's can give
unlimited contributions to state legislators.
The federal proceedings concern whether the administration doled out «pay - to - play» favors to big donors that dumped money into de Blasio's now - defunct «shadow government» nonprofit, the Campaign for One New York — Vance's case concerns allegations the mayor sought to circumvent state
contribution limits in his failed bid to turn the State Senate Democratic, by having people seeking city business funnel
unlimited cash into upstate county committees instead
of into candidates» campaign accounts.
«We must replace the public embarrassment
of existing campaign financing laws, which allow enormous
contributions and
unlimited expenditures, with a system
of reasonable limits that levels the playing field and ensures that meritorious candidates are not discouraged by the costs
of running for public office.»
Longtime League
of Women Voters lobbyist Barbara Bartoletti expressed frustration at the lack
of action on items, including closing a giant campaign finance loophole that allows big money donors to make
unlimited contributions to candidates by setting up multiple limited liability companies.
Good government groups see the pension forfeiture measure as a token reform and have pressed for the closing
of the «LLC loophole» that allows businesses to create multiple limited liability companies to donate virtually
unlimited amounts
of campaign cash; public financing
of candidate campaigns; the end
of lump sum appropriations in the budget; limits on political
contributions by companies with business before the state; limits on legislators» outside income; and a renovation
of Albany's ethics watchdog, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE).
The group, which could accept
unlimited contributions because
of its status, allegedly funneled money from wealthy donors into de Blasio's campaign coffers — avoiding campaign finance restrictions.
With our Premier Plus account you can even add a honeymoon fund, cash
contributions, charity donations and
unlimited bespoke cash gifts to your list, making multiple gift lists a thing
of the past.
A beneficiary can have
unlimited number
of Coverdell accounts, but is limited to $ 2,000 per year in total Coverdell
contributions.
Of course, in an ideal world we would have
unlimited contribution room in those tax sheltered accounts!
From the rapid populist changes in the Middle East's Arab Spring to the Citizen's United decision
of the Supreme Court that allows
unlimited political
contributions by corporations and so - called plutocrats here at home, democracy is a central topic
of our time.
Defenders
of unlimited campaign
contributions like to think donors give money to candidates whose views they share, or to lawmakers who have done a good job in office and need the money to win election and continue doing a fabulous job.