The Independent View: NYC Mayoral Candidate Challenges City Limits on Funding Campaigns

New York City mayoral candidate George McDonald, President of the Doe Fund, filed a lawsuit to prevent the New York City's Campaign Finance Board from taking enforcement action against his campaign for taking contributions in excess of city limits but not state limits. The first filing date is January 15, 2013 and he knows he is over city limits and accepted a corporation loan.

The law suit alleges the city does not have the authority to require candidates who are not accepting public matching funds to abide by city laws that set stricter limits on donations and contributions.

The state law allows the maximum individual contribution for mayor and other citywide offices at $19,700 for the major party primaries and $41,100 for the general election. The state also allows corporation loans.

In 2004, the New York City Council approved legislation that mandated every candidate for local office follow the city limits of accepting individual contributions of $4,950 for the primary and general elections combined. The city law also prohibits any loans by corporations. These limits do not affect self-funded candidates.

Since the city law was enacted in 2004, no candidate had challenged the law, until now.

Officials of the Campaign Finance Board say they plan to defend the city law. "New York City's campaign finance laws keep corporate money out of our elections and reduce the influence of big-money contributors," said Amy Loprest, the board's Executive Director. "Combined with the public-matching funds program, the common-sense contribution limits protects the voice of all New Yorkers in city elections."