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Q&A
Q&A on political contribution restrictions for commissioners
0:53:49
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154 sec
Commissioner Kathryn Wylde asks for clarification on political contribution rules discussed by Alex Kipp from the COIB.
Kipp confirms commissioners can make personal contributions but are prohibited from soliciting funds from others for local NYC races or for any race involving a current city elected official, for the duration of their commission service. Regarding PACs, Kipp advises seeking specific guidance from the COIB, as the permissibility of soliciting donations depends on whether the PAC focuses on issues versus specific candidates covered by the restrictions; all advice sought is confidential.
- Commissioners can personally donate to political campaigns.
- Commissioners cannot ask others to donate to local NYC races or races involving current city elected officials running for another office.
- This restriction applies only during their time serving on the commission.
- Asking others to donate to PACs requires analysis of the PAC's purpose; seek COIB advice if unsure.
Kathryn Wylde
0:53:49
I didn't understand Can we make political contributions, but we can't ask people to make contributions?
Alex Kipp
0:53:57
Correct.
0:53:58
Correct.
0:53:59
So I can make any contributions to any candidate running.
0:54:03
I can also ask people to make contributions to state races, federal races, but I can't ask anybody to make a contribution to anybody running for a local race or any current city elected official who's running for any other race.
0:54:21
So, like, a current city council member running for congress or senate would be the kinda classic examples where that And for what period?
0:54:28
For the duration of my service here on the Charter Revision Commission.
0:54:31
So there's no, one like, let's say your service ends on, Friday, the Saturday.
0:54:38
You can ask anybody in the world to make those contributions.
0:54:40
There's no cooling off period for that.
0:54:42
You could do that the next day.
0:54:44
But for the duration of your service, you couldn't make that.
Kathryn Wylde
0:54:46
And what about contributions to a city pack?
Alex Kipp
0:54:49
Contributions to the city pack is going to be the same answer.
0:54:53
If the city pack is devoted to electing someone, then I don't ask people to donate to that PAC to get that, either, person running for city office elected or to get that current city official elected for any other office.
Kathryn Wylde
0:55:08
If it's a general PAC for any state or local official?
Alex Kipp
0:55:12
The general so, yeah.
0:55:14
There's lots of different kinds of PACs.
0:55:16
If you've got a question where you feel like, I'm a little concerned because, like, the PAC does a lot of different things.
0:55:21
I wanna know if I could do an ask.
0:55:22
That's a great question on legal advice.
0:55:24
Let's sort it out because I can talk about the extremes where it's like, well, the pack is just, issue oriented.
0:55:30
Right?
0:55:30
And then it's not getting any local official elected, and that would seem to be okay.
0:55:34
But there might be a pack whose sole purpose is to get a particular individual elected, and then we gotta ask about, well, who are they trying to get elected?
0:55:40
Because if it's one of these prohibited things, then the answer would be no.
0:55:43
You can't ask other people to donate.
0:55:44
So if you if you've got that question to come up, let's get you specific guidance in writing from the COIB.
0:55:49
So when the asks come and you know you can do it, if anybody scratches their head, you could say, no.
0:55:54
I already got advice from COIB.
0:55:55
They said it was fine.
0:55:57
By the way, all advice questions, this is the way this works.
0:56:00
It's free and it's confidential.
0:56:02
So that means you call us up.
0:56:04
We can't share even the fact that you called us for advice with anybody.
0:56:09
You can share that advice with anybody you like, but we cannot.
0:56:12
And that makes it a safe place for you to ask whatever question you want to know that the conflict of interest board can't trumpet that to anybody else.
0:56:18
Okay?
0:56:20
Alright.
0:56:20
Thanks, everybody, and thanks for your service.