As a result of the election finance corruption scandals of the 1980s, the rules governing campaign contributions were altered so as to limit the influences of particular donors on the political process, said Nicole A. Gordon, former executive director of the New York City Campaign Finance Board.

In February 1988, New York authorities approved the Campaign Finance Act. The same year New Yorkers approved by general referendum the creation of the Campaign Finance Board (CFB), including the Campaign Finance Program (CFP).

The point of the Campaign Finance Program is simple: a candidate who satisfies the requirements of the law, such as meeting a low minimum funding level, will be offered public funds. In turn, the candidate must agree to fully disclose information about campaign contributors at the end of the elections, and also must agree to limit individual contributions as well as campaign spending.

Participation in the Campaign Finance Program, according to Gordon, has always been and remains voluntary.

The program has undergone a number of substantial changes since 1988. Modifications were introduced in 1996, which obligated politicians using public funds in their campaign to participate in pre-election debates.

Two years later, in 1998, New Yorkers supported a referendum on new changes that reduced the size of permissible individual donations and completely banned corporate funding and support from political action committees for candidates registered with the Campaign Finance Board.

According to the 1998 changes, candidates receive $4 of public funds for each $1 contributed by individual donors. Therefore, if you give a candidate $250 – the maximum contribution allowed an individual – the candidate will receive $1,000 of public funds. Based on these laws (local laws 58, 59, 60), in the past year all candidates – without exception – even those not participating in the Campaign Finance Program, have to agree to a limitation in the size of campaign donations and report those donations to the Campaign Finance Board.

Gordon said the existence of the Campaign Finance Program has led to candidates depending more on thousands of simple voters and less on a few corporate sponsors. This effectively leveled the playing field between politicians who were once able to amass huge campaign war chests and those who struggled financially.

Thanks to the expanded services provided by the Campaign Finance Board, today we can get a clearer picture of where politicians get money to run their campaigns, as well as how much and where it was spent. This information is available on the Campaign Finance Board’s Web site: www.nyccfb.info.

All questions related to campaigns financing by specific politicians can also be directed to the Campaign Finance Board at (212) 306-7100.