What's happening
This bill prohibits reporting or making campaign contributions under false names and imposes significant civil penalties for violations.
Why it matters
Increases transparency and accountability. in campaign finance by making it illegal for anyone to report or contribute under a false name, helping to ensure that the public and regulators know the true sources of political money.
Closes loopholes. that previously allowed donors to hide their identities by using intermediaries, agents, or other deceptive methods, making it harder to conceal the real contributors behind campaign donations.
Imposes steep financial penalties. up to $25,000 or three times the unlawful contribution—for individuals or organizations who violate these rules, creating a strong deterrent against fraudulent reporting and contributions.
Enhances enforcement power. for state oversight agencies (like JCOPE), giving them the tools to pursue and penalize bad actors, which could lead to cleaner and more trustworthy political processes in New York.
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Who cares
Filers reporting contributions to JCOPE
The bill would prohibit covered filers from knowingly reporting contributions under anyone’s name other than the true contributor’s.
Contributors and intermediaries
The bill would prohibit knowingly making or facilitating contributions to covered filers under a name other than the true contributor’s, including specified contributions made on another’s behalf.
JCOPE
Knowing and willful violations would carry a civil penalty per violation of up to $25,000 or three times the amount unlawfully contributed, enabled, facilitated or received, whichever is greater.
Headline styles
Stop False Donor Names
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to governmental operations
- Referred to governmental operations
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7161
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 11, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. BUCHWALD -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the legislative law, in relation to penalties for reporting contributions to JCOPE in any name other than that of the person by whom it was made
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision (c) of section 1-h of the legislative law is amended by adding a new paragraph 5 to read as follows:
(5)(i) No filer subject to the reporting requirements of this section shall knowingly report a contribution in any name other than that of the true name of the person or persons by whom it is made.
(ii) No person shall knowingly make, cause to be made, enable, authorize, or facilitate the making of a contribution to a filer subject to the requirements of this section, except in the true name of the contributor, including making contributions on behalf of another or acting as an intermediary or agent of another.
§ 2. Subdivision (c) of section 1-j of the legislative law is amended by adding a new paragraph 5 to read as follows:
(5)(i) No filer subject to the reporting requirements of this section shall knowingly report a contribution in any name other than that of the true name of the person or persons by whom it is made.
(ii) No person shall knowingly make, cause to be made, enable, or facilitate a contribution to a filer subject to the requirements of this section, except in the true name of the contributor.
§ 3. Paragraphs (iii), (iv), (v) and (vi) of subdivision (b) of section 1-o of the legislative law are relettered paragraphs (iv), (v), (vi) and (viii) and a new paragraph (iii) is added to read as follows:
(iii) Any person who knowingly and wilfully violates paragraph five of subdivision (c) of section one-j or paragraph five of subdivision (c) of section one-h of this article shall be subject to a civil penalty for
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10782-03-7
A. 7161 2
each such violation, in an amount not to exceed the greater of twentyfive thousand dollars or three times the amount the person unlawfully contributed, enabled, facilitated, or received.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.