Post by Logan on May 7, 2016 6:49:49 GMT -6
In a sharp and public escalation of its response to a raft of investigations, the Campaign for One New York, a nonprofit political group tied to Mayor Bill de Blasio, said that it would refuse to comply with a subpoena issued by a New York State ethics panel.
The letter, written by the group’s lawyer, Lawrence D. Laufer, accused the ethics panel of a “blatantly political exercise” in seeking further information related to possible lobbying activities.
The state panel, known as the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, has been investigating the activities of the Campaign for One New York since last year over concerns, voiced by good-government groups and in the news media, that the group may have violated state regulations by acting as a lobbyist without registering as one with the state. The group registered as a lobbyist in 2014, but did not do so in 2015.
In the 12-page letter, Mr. Laufer argued that Campaign for One New York did not perform any lobbying activities in 2015, and therefore was not required to register. He questioned several aspects of the investigation, its timing and its targets, noting that the panel sought information related to potential lobbying of the State Legislature, the mayor and the City Council, but not to any potential lobbying of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.
Read more: www.nytimes.com/2016/05/07/nyregion/political-group-tied-to-mayor-de-blasio-to-defy-subpoena.html
The letter, written by the group’s lawyer, Lawrence D. Laufer, accused the ethics panel of a “blatantly political exercise” in seeking further information related to possible lobbying activities.
The state panel, known as the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, has been investigating the activities of the Campaign for One New York since last year over concerns, voiced by good-government groups and in the news media, that the group may have violated state regulations by acting as a lobbyist without registering as one with the state. The group registered as a lobbyist in 2014, but did not do so in 2015.
In the 12-page letter, Mr. Laufer argued that Campaign for One New York did not perform any lobbying activities in 2015, and therefore was not required to register. He questioned several aspects of the investigation, its timing and its targets, noting that the panel sought information related to potential lobbying of the State Legislature, the mayor and the City Council, but not to any potential lobbying of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.
Read more: www.nytimes.com/2016/05/07/nyregion/political-group-tied-to-mayor-de-blasio-to-defy-subpoena.html