News Clips

Susan Lerner with Common Cause said in a statement that “New Yorkers deserve better,” and she urged Cuomo to take the lead to close a loophole in the campaign finance laws that allow donors to use limited liability companies to skirt contribution limits, to ban outside income for lawmakers and to increase oversight over state economic development programs.

Susan Learner, executive director of the government watchdog group Common Cause, slammed the Cuomo-friendly mailer as “misleading” and inappropriate. “How can Governor Cuomo say that it’s easier to vote in New York when he and the legislature have failed, year after year, to pass common sense election reforms like early voting, and automatic voter registration? Not only is this mailer misleading, it’s a questionable use of tax dollars to promote the Governor’s re-election,” Lerner said.

“Two juries have now twice convicted Dean Skelos of using his position in government to extort favors for his family in return for taxpayer funded resources. Case closed,” said Associate Director of Common Cause/NY Sarah Goff in statement.

Good-government types have targeted this kind of thing since — well, forever: “There are no guidelines, and it really is a pretty obvious conflict of interest,” says Common Cause chief Susan Lerner.