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Q&A
Concerns about large corporate donations to super PACs and potential policy reforms
2:59:06
·
122 sec
Council Member Lincoln Restler expresses concerns about large corporate donations to super PACs and their influence on city policies. He asks about potential reforms to address these issues within the constraints of campaign finance laws. Executive Director Paul Seamus Ryan provides a measured response.
- Restler cites a million-dollar contribution from DoorDash to a super PAC as an example of concerning influence.
- Ryan acknowledges his background in campaign finance advocacy but emphasizes his current role in enforcing existing laws.
- The CFB is open to working with council members on policy reforms to address these concerns.
- Ryan refrains from voicing personal opinions but offers to collaborate professionally with his team, board, and council members on potential solutions.
Lincoln Restler
2:59:06
Tried to do it broadly to see if there was a way to sneak in there, but I understand.
2:59:10
Are you concerned that donors with significant business interest before the city, like DoorDash, are making giant donations to super PACs in a clear attempt to influence city policies?
2:59:21
A million dollar contribution from a corporation with significant business interest before the city feels entirely contradictory to the spirit of our campaign finance laws.
2:59:34
I recognize there are limitations that the Supreme Court has placed and you know them much better than me, but what more should we be doing to ensure that our public funds aren't going to candidates who are kind of relying on independent expenditures as a backdoor around our campaign finance system.
2:59:55
When should there be any ramifications for candidates who were in our campaign finance system accessing public funds, who are at the same time taking these enormous contributions through super PACs from entities that do business with the city?
3:01:02
Well, look forward to continuing that conversation very much.
3:01:04
I'm alarmed by, you know, how things have been going this election cycle.
Paul Seamus Ryan
3:00:10
As you know, I've spent twenty five years in the advocacy world of campaign finance and election law as a watchdog.
3:00:18
I had many opinions and many policy suggestions.
3:00:22
In my present role, my number one job is to enforce the laws on the books and I work very closely both with my intergovernmental relations team, with my legal team, and with our board to come up with policy proposals.
3:00:36
We vet them carefully and we are happy to work with you and other members of the council to come up with policy reforms or solutions, way to address the problems that you've just identified that are concerning you.
3:00:49
I'm not at liberty today to voice my own personal opinions about where these where policy development should go, but I am happy to do so in my professional capacity in partnership with my team and my board and you and other council members.