The Alt Weekly: You may have paid for a NY State politician’s criminal defense
Originally published in
The Alt Weekly
State Sen. Michael Gianaris has sponsored legislation that would end this practice, and there is an early sign that it could come to a vote in the Senate–but don’t cross your fingers. “Last time it didn’t make it out of committee, but it got a better reception this time,” Gianaris told The Alt. “Joe Bruno has been the biggest offender, but next time it could be someone else. We should not force taxpayers to pay for a politician’s criminal defense.”
Good-government groups have long derided the use of campaign funds to cover legal defense. The fact that politicians can be reimbursed by the state is just another indication to reformers of how backward New York’s campaign finance laws are.
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