From the Wall Street Journal:
The New York City Council plans to consider legislation aimed at regulating political nonprofits, a move that comes months after Mayor Bill de Blasio disbanded his nonprofit amid criticism from ethics groups, a person familiar with the matter said.
The bill would limit how much money a group directed or affiliated with an elected official can take from contributors who have city business, this person said. The limit is likely to be in the hundreds of dollars, the person said.
It would also require organizations affiliated with the city or public officials to report their contributors annually, this person said.
The legislation is in its final stages of drafting and is slated to be introduced within two weeks, the person said. Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, a Democrat and ally of Mr. de Blasio, has embraced the spirit of the bill and is expected to support it, the person said.
Dan Levitan, a spokesman for the Campaign for One New York, the now-disbanded political nonprofit that advanced Mr. de Blasio’s policy and political agenda, said the group voluntarily disclosed all of its donors and spending “well beyond what the law required.”
A spokesman for Mr. de Blasio said the mayor supports the intent of the bill.
Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat, is running for a second four-year term in 2017. The Campaign for One New York accepted almost $5 million in contributions over three years, including large checks from donors with city business.
Federal and state investigators are examining whether Mr. de Blasio traded government action for contributions, and some donors have been subpoenaed, according to people familiar with the matter. Neither the mayor nor his allies have been accused of wrongdoing, and Mr. de Blasio has said he and his allies have followed all laws.
In July, the city’s Campaign Finance Board determined that the Campaign for One New York didn’t spend money to bolster the mayor’s re-election bid, but the board said the group’s spending raised serious policy issues. The board’s chairwoman specifically said she was concerned about these types of nonprofits because there are no dollar limits on contributions.
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