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The contributions and interactions between Exact Capital's principals, their relatives and the councilman left good-government groups aghast. "It appears to be a deliberate attempt to subvert the ethics and intent of our campaign finance law," said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause/NY. Lerner reiterated her group's longstanding calls for a public disclosure of charitable contributions made at an elected official's request, and suggested the city tighten its law restricting contributions from interested parties so relatives are also covered. More broadly, she argued, the city should embrace recommendations from the Regional Plan Association to rework the public approval process for projects such as Blondell Commons. Comprehensive planning would replace piecemeal zoning changes and enhance transparency and public participation. "It's been a pervasive problem that neighborhoods are struggling with: how these projects are determined, how are they funded, who authorizes them, and what input the community has," Lerner said.

Some groups offered slight differences in their recommendations. Reinvent Albany suggested limiting matching funds to small donations only, rather than matching, for example, the first $200 of a much larger donation. The Brennan Center proposed having a higher matching rate for in-district donations to encourage candidates to solicit more money from their constituents. And Common Cause emphasized the need to impose a sensible cap on public funds – the maximum amount of money a candidate could receive from the state.

“Every step along the way the board makes bad choices and they are never held accountable for it,” said Susan Lerner, executive director of good government group Common Cause New York, in testimony at the City Council oversight hearing on last year’s elections.

“For almost three years, Common Cause/NY has said Keith Wright can either be party chairman or a lobbyist but he can’t have it both ways,” Susan Lerner, executive director of the group said. “The opportunities to wield his political position for personal enrichment, or use his position to advance a client’s agenda present a clear conflict of interest.”

“This proposed public financing commission is a ploy to remove power from the Legislature, by delegating the authority of our duly elected representatives to a mystery commission,” said Susan Lerner of Common Cause NY. The good-government group opposes the short timetable for such potentially drastic change, but welcomes the public hearings to address a decades-old pressing need.

In response to the ruling, the good government group Common Cause New York tweeted that a "raise without a ban on outside income is unacceptable." "Lawmakers deserve a raise, and New Yorkers deserve elected officials who work only for them," Common Cause NY wrote.