I’m ordering an indie review of $

In my seven years as district attorney, I’ve never allowed someone’s wealth, power, race or campaign contributions to influence my decisions. Over the past few days, I’ve learned that it’s not enough for me to have confidence in my independence from donors. The people of New York deserve to be confident about it as well. That’s why today, the Center for the Advancement of Public Integrity (CAPI) will begin an independent review of how we handle campaign contributions. In 90 days, they will report back with recommendations on how to handle them moving forward. In the interim, I have directed my campaign not to accept a single dollar more. I expect that CAPI — a nonpartisan center at Columbia Law Scho ol that works to bolster municipal integrity across the globe — will recommend that we go well beyond what is currently required by laws that govern contributions to district attorneys in our state. I genuinely hope that they do. This is one of the first reviews of its kind ever undertaken in the realm of prosecutors’ offices, and the firestorm we have experienced over the past week presents an opportunity for real reform. A well-functioning justice system depends on two things. It depends on actors within it faithfully executing their duties. And it depends on public confidence — shared by people of all races and socioeconomic classes — that those actors are making judgments based on the merits alone. Our system fails when those who lack power believe that the system favors those who do. Unlike other public officers, prosecutors are often not able to explain their actions — no matter how much we might want to, and no matter how loudly our constituents demand that we do. This is especially so in grand jury investigations, which are required by law to remain secret. In case after case, we know facts and ask the public to blindly trust us without the benefit of those same facts. As long as district attorneys are sworn to protect the privacy of complainants and uncharged individuals equally, this information gap will persist. In other words, public trust in prosecutors requires a leap of faith. I want to make it much easier for that faith to exist. That’s why I’ve asked an independent group to help us radically reduce the appearance of influence of money in our work. It’s why, notwithstanding New York’s lax campaign finance laws and sky-high contribution limits, I’m prepared to dramatically restrict who can donate money to our campaign — including lawyers — and the amounts that our contributors are able to give. It’s why I’ve asked the folks at CAPI to look at other jurisdictions around the country and the world, and recommend any steps that we can take, on our own accord, to raise New Yorkers’ confidence that money and power are meaningless before the law. At the end of the day, I don’t expect people to agree with e very call that we make. But I want them to have faith that we make those calls without fear or favor, based on the merits alone. I never intended to start a conversation about money in criminal justice. But I see now that it’s long overdue. Campaign finance reform is criminal justice reform, and I have a unique opportunity to push the ball forward. As the process we set into motion today should make clear, I intend to use it.