“He’s setting a great example,” said state Senator Martin Connor of Eliot Spitzer’s self-imposed campaign contributions limits and attendance at fund-raisers.
And by great example, he means for other people.
“This doesn’t apply to me. No, we’d have to change the law. None of this applies to legislators,” Connor said.
“Realistically, this executive order doesn’t even apply to the state comptroller or attorney general.”
True.
When asked, incoming AG Andrew Cuomo’s people sent the following statement:
“It is essential that we restore the public trust in our government with comprehensive campaign finance, ethics, redistricting, and legislative reform and I look forward to partnering with Governor-elect Spitzer and Lt. Gov.-Elect Paterson to get these and other aggressive reforms enacted into law so that all statewide candidates and office holders are held to account.”
To clarify, Cuomo’s spokeswoman Wendy Katz said yes, Cuomo will adhere to Spitzer’s campaign contribution limits.
A message left at comptroller Alan Hevesi’s office was not immediately returned.
Connor, who was in a tight primary race this year, said he’d happy to have a $10,000 campaign contribution limit since, that would be a raise from what state Senators and Assembly members can currently accept.
— Azi Paybarah
