Hochul's Campaign Returns Thousands in Donations from Appointees, Citing Ethics Order
Governor Kathy Hochul is refunding thousands of dollars she accepted from people she appointed to state boards and councils after a Democratic primary rival questioned her fund-raising methods. According to public records, the governor has raised at least $72,500 from individuals who were given positions steering state policy on issues such as cannabis and elevator safety.
The campaign's decision to return the donations came in response to a query from Gothamist about the ethics of Hochul accepting funds from appointees. The issue was sparked by a primary challenge from Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, a one-time ally who broke with Hochul earlier this year.
Delgado's campaign accused Hochul of violating an executive order prohibiting state employees and officers in unpaid positions from donating to gubernatorial campaigns. "Raising money from political appointees after pledging not to, Governor Hochul is driving a truck through her own ethics order," Delgado's spokesperson Steven Ileka said. "This is the government of the donors, by the donors, for the donors — and New Yorkers are the ones being left out."
The controversy highlights a broader issue in state politics: the practice of raising campaign funds from gubernatorial appointees. This can undermine public confidence in governmental actions and create perceptions that appointments are bought or sold.
Hochul's campaign has defended the practice by citing Cuomo's pre-Hochul era as an example, where he also raised large sums from appointees. However, critics argue that this precedent sets a bad tone for government accountability.
The New York Public Interest Research Group has called on Hochul to follow the rule and refrain from accepting donations from gubernatorial appointees. "It minimizes the possibility that the public will think that they're getting appointed to important government positions because they're campaign donors," said Blair Horner, the group's executive director.
As Hochul faces a tough primary challenge, her decision to return the donations may be seen as an attempt to restore credibility and confidence in her campaign.
Governor Kathy Hochul is refunding thousands of dollars she accepted from people she appointed to state boards and councils after a Democratic primary rival questioned her fund-raising methods. According to public records, the governor has raised at least $72,500 from individuals who were given positions steering state policy on issues such as cannabis and elevator safety.
The campaign's decision to return the donations came in response to a query from Gothamist about the ethics of Hochul accepting funds from appointees. The issue was sparked by a primary challenge from Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, a one-time ally who broke with Hochul earlier this year.
Delgado's campaign accused Hochul of violating an executive order prohibiting state employees and officers in unpaid positions from donating to gubernatorial campaigns. "Raising money from political appointees after pledging not to, Governor Hochul is driving a truck through her own ethics order," Delgado's spokesperson Steven Ileka said. "This is the government of the donors, by the donors, for the donors — and New Yorkers are the ones being left out."
The controversy highlights a broader issue in state politics: the practice of raising campaign funds from gubernatorial appointees. This can undermine public confidence in governmental actions and create perceptions that appointments are bought or sold.
Hochul's campaign has defended the practice by citing Cuomo's pre-Hochul era as an example, where he also raised large sums from appointees. However, critics argue that this precedent sets a bad tone for government accountability.
The New York Public Interest Research Group has called on Hochul to follow the rule and refrain from accepting donations from gubernatorial appointees. "It minimizes the possibility that the public will think that they're getting appointed to important government positions because they're campaign donors," said Blair Horner, the group's executive director.
As Hochul faces a tough primary challenge, her decision to return the donations may be seen as an attempt to restore credibility and confidence in her campaign.
she's basically saying sorry to the people who elected her but honestly what's the point? it's just going to happen again and again and we'll never really have real accountability in gov. i mean blair horner from the NY Public Interest Research Group is right tho, this whole thing reeks of corruption and it makes me wanna question everything about our political system 
anyway, kudos to Hochul for returning the donations but let's be real, this is just a band-aid on a much bigger problem 
. I mean, Governor Hochul is basically saying that just because she made friends with people after they got their government jobs, it's okay for them to throw money at her campaign 
. That's not how you build trust in the system, fam! 
? That's not democracy, that's crony capitalism 
. And when you mix it with campaign funds from governor-appointed folks, it's like a recipe for corruption 
.
. Maybe this is an opportunity for her to rebrand and show that she's not just a puppet of big donors 
. But let's be real, if she didn't take back those donations, it was only a matter of time before the whole thing blew up 
.
. One thing for sure: transparency and accountability are key in government, especially when it comes to campaign funds 
.
so governor Hochul's team just admitted they made a huge mistake by taking cash from appointees who are basically just doing them a favor 
so yeah, Hochul's campaign refunding the donations is definitely a good move 
now let's see if she can actually follow through on that promise 
I need to see more context on what Hochul's campaign said about this back in the day. This could be a PR stunt to placate donors rather than actual reform. Sources, please! 
. I mean, it's not like it's gonna break the bank or anything, but still... it's about setting a good example, right? And honestly, who wouldn't wanna have public trust back? It's been kinda all over the place lately with Cuomo and Hochul and their different approaches to, you know, governing 
.
But on the other hand, I think this practice has been going on for far too long in state politics. It's like, shouldn't our elected officials be above accepting donations from people they're supposed to be making decisions for? 
. Still, returning the donations shows she's not entirely clueless about how this whole thing works... sorta