The same day Attorney General Eric Schneiderman proposed measures to force non-profit groups engaging in political activity to disclose their donors, Gov. Andrew Cuomo pledges he’ll go even further.

“I very much would like to see the state of New York be the progressive leader when it comes to campaign-finance reform, transparency, disclosure, public finance, limits—that’s going to be our goal,” he said in an interview with Public Radio’s Karen DeWitt this afternoon.

The full interview can be heard here.

Cuomo said his proposal will go further than what Schneiderman wants because it can target companies and entities based outside of New York, but seeking to influence public policy in Albany nonetheless.

“I think we need to go further,” Cuomo said of the attorney general’s proposal.

He also complained of the “hodge podge” system of donor disclosure and policing of non-profit organizations. His legislation, which he promised to expand on in his State of the State address on Jan. 9, will be on that “rationalizes the entire system,” he said.

The call for disclosure of 501(c) 4 groups comes after a campaign season of outside independent expenditure groups spending heavily on behalf of candidates with little to no idea of who is funding the efforts.

Progressive leaders and Democratic state lawmakers on Tuesday said they wanted a measure overhauling campaign finance that included a public system of funding for campaigns, saying they wouldn’t accept any “watered down” compromises.

In the interview, Cuomo said public financing was an “integral piece” to campaign-finance reform, but stopped short of saying the provision had to be included in the package.

Share|