An internecine battle is brewing in Albany at the New York state Public Campaign Finance Board.
Republicans on the board have called out Democrats on the board for appealing a judge’s ruling in a case allowing Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman to receive millions of dollars in matching funds to run against Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The board initially voted not to allow Blakeman to receive the money due to a technicality, but last week a state Supreme Court judge, appointed by Hochul, ruled that the board had made a mistake.
In response, the Democrats on the board appealed the ruling.
Republicans responded with a strongly worded public statement condemning the Democrats on the board for their “lack of respect for the judicial system.”
“The appeal shows clear political bias and a lack of respect for the judicial system, and directly contradicts Chairwoman Barbara Lifton’s statement after the vote stating, “if a judge decides otherwise, we’ll of course respect a judge’s decision.” It now appears that the Democratic commissioners are withholding that respect and will not be satisfied until they find a court sympathetic to their initial flawed position,” the statement said.
John Kaehny, executive director of ReInvent Albany, discussed the case with Capital Tonight host Susan Arbetter.
