PCFB Should Provide Clarity on Requirements
Following the action of the Public Campaign Finance Board today denying public financing to 6 gubernatorial candidates, Common Cause NY issues the following statement:
Gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman and 5 other gubernatorial candidates have filed for public financing for their campaigns, but have not provided the information which must be provided to the Commission regarding their accompanying Lt. Governor in order for public financing to be provided. The question before the Public Campaign Finance Board is whether candidates are required to be familiar and comply with the program’s requirements. There is no question that candidates have the obligations to follow the rules. But also before the Commission is the question of the Board’s obligation to clearly communicate requirements for the new public financing system to candidates. In passing the Public Campaign Finance Law, the Legislature declared the public interest includes “encouraging qualified candidates to run for office, while reducing candidates’ and officeholders’ fundraising burdens.”
At the end of the day, we agree with Commissioner Gaskins, that the candidates, with one exception, have not taken any action to “cure the omission” and have not notified the Commission as to the addition of Lt. Governor candidates to their ticket. There are myriad requirements that candidates are responsible to satisfy under the Election Law. At the end of the day, the candidates have a responsibility to understand and comply with the law. But the PCFB has an obligation to communicate with candidates as it develops the rules that must be followed. At the end of the day, the PCFB chose to be strict stewards of the public purse. It is unfortunate that the Board has not adopted the recommendations of the Brennan Center to amend its own Regulation. Neither the candidates nor the Commission and its staff are blameless here. At the end of the day, it is not the candidates, but rather the public financing program and the voters who are the losers in this unfortunate situation.
