New York - Common Cause

Common Cause/NY Files Comments with SEC on Pay-to-Play Regulations

Common Cause submitted comments in October 2009 in support of the Securities and Exchange Commission's "Proposed Rule Regarding Political Contributions by Certain Investment Advisers," which prohibits certain pay-to-play practices by government officials investing private funds.

"The proposed rule addresses a real problem that we have, unfortunately, directly experienced here in New York," said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause/New York."The pay-to-play scandals involving public pension funds here in New York have had ripple effects across the nation. We commend the SEC for adopting many of the reforms which have already been adopted here in New York and applying them uniformly throughout the country."

Read the comments and the press release.

Common Cause on NY1 Investigation Showing City Personnel Scrubbing the City Before mayoral Visits

From NY1: Traveling around the city with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, one might get the sense that New York is remarkably clean. That's because before the mayor arrives at an event, a sanitation crew often descends like a SWAT team and gives the neighborhood a quick facelift. NY1’s Grace Rauh filed the following report.

Below, watch Common Cause comment on the investigation.