Albany, NY – An attempt to address state government corruption is prompting criticism from government watchdog groups who say it won’t address Albany’s culture of corruption — and could have bad unintended consequences for charitable non-profits.
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The measure, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo is poised to sign into law Wednesday, strengthens rules prohibiting supposedly independent political from coordinating with campaigns, allowing candidates to circumvent campaign finance limits.
The bill would also require charitable non-profits to identify large donors, a move that the New York Civil Liberties Union worries will discourage people from donating to groups involved in controversial advocacy, such as Planned Parenthood or gun rights groups.
Other groups say it largely ignores Albany’s bigger problems, such as weak campaign finance laws, a lack of effective ethics enforcement or a lack of legislative transparency.