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Monday, February 18, 2013

Republican George McDonald Violates Law To Reform City Finance Rules

George McDonald, vying for the Republican slot and an advocate for the homeless, has taken 10 campaign contributions greater than the city’s $4,950 legal limit — including one for $40,000, The Daily News reports. McDonald's campaign has obtained a $120,000 loan in violation of city election law, too. McDonald campaign could be fined $57,050 by the city Campaign Finance Board, a board official said

No he ain't stupid, It’s all intentional, part of a combat strategy against New York City’s tough election law, in order to allow campaigns  who fail to make the matching funds threshhold, to sustain the sysetem.  McDonald says that the city’s limits on contributions are unconstitutional, and he’s filed a lawsuit asking a judge to invalidate the law. “No one has knocked it down in 23 years,” said Hofstra Law School dean Eric Lane, who helped to write the law 23 years ago.

Joe Lhota's campaign, according to the Daily News, has welcomed McDonald's fight, hoping it would make it easier for Lhota to raise cash, too.

McDonald's Spokesman David Catalfamo said the city’s strict donation limit makes it impossible to go up against wealthy candidates who can spend as much of their own money as they want. “George . . . wants to be the next mayor, and in order to do that, he needs the resources to compete,” Catalfamo said. “The current system favors candidates who can self-finance, like Mike Bloomberg or (Gristedes owner) John Catsimatidis or career politicians who spent years building donor rolls.”

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