Panel mulls lowering contribution limits

New York’s cap on giving to statewide officials among nation’s most lax

New York’s political contribution limits some of the most lax in the country could become more restrictive in the near future.

Reducing the limits was embraced at the Monday meeting of a special commission tasked with creating a system of taxpayer-funded election campaigns. The commission, which has a broad mandate from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and state lawmakers to implement an optional matching contribution system, has until Dec. 1 to produce its binding recommendations.

The conversation about capping contributions to candidates for state offices is a welcome development for good government advocates, who have long maintained that New York’s limits, which dwarf what candidates for president can receive, allow wealthy donors to monopolize the interests of elected officials.

Cuomo, who has raked in record amounts of campaign cash under the existing rules, has repeatedly advanced language in the state budget that would reduce the limits, but the proposals have been a nonstarter in both houses of the state Legislature.

Of all the states with contribution limits, New York allows the largest contributions to statewide officials, who are capped at $22,600 for a primary election and $47,100 for their general election. Candidates for state Senate have the second highest limit in the country, at $19,300 for a primary and general combined; the state Assembly is fifth highest, at $9,400.

“Compared to federal elections, we’re in a different order of magnitude,” said Brennan Center for Justice senior counsel Chisun Lee.

Contributions to candidates for federal office, including the presidency, are capped at $5,600 for the primary and general elections combined.

During Monday’s meeting, the commissioners positively reviewed new contributions limits proposed by the Brennan Center, which recommends a two-tiered system of limits based on participation in the matching contribution program.

For statewide candidates, such as the governor, who participate in the matching system, they would be limited to receiving $12,000 per donor every four years. Nonparticipating candidates would be limited to contributions of $16,000.

Contribution limits to state Senate and Assembly candidates in the matching system would be less than half what is allowed now, with new limits of $8,000 and $4,000, respectively. Nonparticipating Senate candidates would be limited to $12,000 and Assembly candidates would be at $7,000.

After reading off the numbers, one commissioner remarked, “I like it.”

No commissioners spoke against the principle of lower contribution limits, although they did acknowledge their authority to impose limitations on candidates who don’t opt into the matching system could face legal challenges.

The limits, along with a system of matching contributions, would radically reshape fundraising in New York, where large contributions account for the vast majority of what candidates bring in.

During the last election cycle, “monetary contributions” of $12,000 or more accounted for about 56 percent of Cuomo’s total fundraising, based on an analysis of campaign finance records. Monetary contributions above the limits for federal candidates accounted for nearly three-quarters of his donations.

Asked for comment on the governor’s fundraising, Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi said: “I’m old enough to remember when closing the LLC loophole was cause number one for the Times Union — we follow the letter and the spirit of the law but, just like the LLC loophole, the governor has proposed lowering contribution limits for years and will keep fighting for it until change is achieved.”