What's happening
This bill prohibits the use of campaign funds to pay attorney's fees or legal costs for most civil or criminal cases involving candidates or officials.
Why it matters
Reduces potential misuse of campaign donations. by ensuring that funds raised for electoral purposes cannot be diverted to cover candidates’ or officials’ personal legal expenses, which could otherwise undermine donor trust and campaign integrity.
Increases accountability for public and party officials. by making them personally responsible for their own legal defense costs in most civil and criminal cases, potentially deterring unethical or illegal behavior.
Narrows exceptions to legal fee spending. by only allowing campaign funds to be used for attorney’s fees in very limited circumstances—specifically for civil actions under article sixteen—which likely covers election-related disputes, not personal or criminal matters.
Promotes greater transparency for voters and donors. by clarifying what campaign money can and cannot be used for, helping the public better understand how political contributions are spent.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Ban Campaign Funds for Legal Fees
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to elections
- Referred to elections
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Ban Campaign Funds for Legal Fees
In Assembly Committee · Election Law · Sponsor Charles Lavine
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
50
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sens. HOYLMAN, ADDABBO, KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to the use of campaign funds to pay attorney's fees
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 14-130 of the election law is amended by adding a new subdivision 7 to read as follows:
7. No campaign funds shall be used to pay attorney's fees or any costs of defending against any civil or criminal action, investigation or prosecution for alleged violations of state or federal law alleged to have been committed by a candidate, public or party official, members of their immediate family or domestic partner unless such expenditure is used exclusively for costs related to civil actions instituted pursuant to article sixteen of this chapter.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that the state board of elections shall notify all registered campaign committees of the applicable provisions of this act within thirty days after this act shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04147-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the election law, in relation to the use of campaign funds to pay attorney's fees
Purpose
The purpose of this legislation is to explicitly prohibit the use of campaign funds to pay attorney's fees or other costs associated with criminal or civil litigation.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends section 14-130 of the election law to expressly prohib- it the use of campaign funds to pay attorney's fees or costs of defend- ing against civil or criminal investigation or prosecution for alleged violations of state or federal law. The only exception would be for costs related to civil actions for alleged violations of Article 16 of the Election Law.
Section 2 sets forth the effective date.
Justification
Currently, New York's election law, allowing candidates to spend campaign funds for "any lawful purpose," is among the most lax in the nation. While spending campaign funds for personal use is technically prohibited, the lack of any definition for what constitutes a personal use renders the provision meaningless. This shortcoming in the law is striking when compared to the detailed restrictions issued by the Feder- al Election Commission.
Campaign donors have a reasonable expectation that their contributions will be used for the candidate's election efforts and the execution of his or her duties. They do not expect their contributions to subsidize attorney's fees or litigation costs that have nothing to do with the nomination or election of the candidate to whom they made a donation. This legislation would therefore clarify that campaign funds may not be used for this purpose while preserving candidates' ability to use campaign funds for legal fees directly involved with nomination or election to office.
Legislative history
S.0088 of 2017-2018 (Hoylman): Died in Elections A.4181 of 2017-2018 (Lavine): Died in Election Law S.338-A of 2015-2016 (Hoylman): Died in Elections (2015 /Died in Inves- tigations & Government Operations (2016) A.9331 of 2016 (Lavine): Died in Election Law S.5094 of 2013-2014 (O'Brien): Died in Elections
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that the state board of elections shall notify all registered campaign committees of the applicable provisions of this act within thirty days after this act shall have become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.