Jan. 2014, No.

35
New York City Campaign Finance Board
Rose Gill Hearn Chairman Art Chang Richard J. Davis Courtney C. Hall Mark S. Piazza Board Members Amy M. Loprest Executive Director Elizabeth Bauer Chief of Administrative Services Daniel Cho Director of Candidate Services Onida Coward Mayers Director of Voter Assistance Sue Ellen Dodell General Counsel Eric Friedman Director of External Affairs Peri Horowitz Director of Campaign Finance Administration Jonnathon Kline Director of Auditing & Accounting Kenneth OBrien Director of Systems Administration Jesse Schaffer Director of Special Compliance Elizabeth A. Upp Director of Communications Matt Sollars Press Secretary

CFB Welcomes Rose Gill Hearn, Fourth Board Chair

The Campaign Finance Board is honored to welcome Rose Gill Hearn as its new Chair. Ms. Gill Hearn was appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg on December 31, 2013, Rose Hill Gearn becoming the fourth Chair in the Boards 25-year history. She will serve a ve-year term, ending in 2018. She succeeds Father Joseph P. Parkes, S.J., who completed his term on November 30, 2013. Ms. Gill Hearn served as the Commissioner of the Department of Investigation from 2002 until her appointment as CFB Chair. Previously, she was an Assistant United States Attorney and Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division in the United States Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York. Ms. Gill Hearn also helped create the Center for the Advancement of Public Integrity (CAPI) at Columbia Law School to study corruption and accountability in government, and serves as chair of the Centers Advisory Board. She will also join Bloomberg Associates, which provides consulting services to municipal governments. I am both thrilled and privileged to join my fellow Board members and the staff in their commitment to making the Campaign Finance Board a model in government, said Ms. Gill Hearn. The Board is a powerful force for good, ensuring transparency in political fundraising and in getting impartial, trustworthy information out to the voters. Its work is highly acclaimed throughout the country, with good reason. We are very happy to have Rose Gill Hearn as our new chair and welcome her to the Campaign Finance Board, said Amy Loprest, CFB Executive Director. Throughout her career as a public servant, Ms. Gill Hearn has earned an outstanding reputation for independence and integrity, and we look forward to her leadership as Chair. Father Parkes rst joined the CFB in June 2007, and was elevated to Chair in April 2008 by Mayor Bloomberg. During his tenure, Father Parkes led the Board through two historic citywide elections and numerous special elections. Under Father Parkes leadership, the Board implemented signicant reforms to the Citys campaign nance laws, establishing strict limits on contributions from individuals doing business with City government, and new requirements for disclosure of independent expenditures in City elections. We thank Father Parkes for his even-handed stewardship of the Board during his time as Chair, Loprest said. We wish him well in his continuing efforts to improve New Yorkers lives as president of Cristo Rey New York High School in East Harlem.

Bonny Tsang Public Affairs Officer Lauren Vincent Press Intern

FULL DISCLOSURE

CFB Marks End of 2013 Election Cycle, Launches Post-Election Review

January 2014 marked the end of the 2013 election cycle for City campaigns. On January15, candidates were required to le the last disclosure statement of the cycle, showing all campaign nance activity through January 11.

news from the Percentage of Contributors Giving $250 or Less to Participating Candidates nyc campaign nance board
13.1%
contributors giving $250 or less

FULL DISCLOSURE January 2014, No. 35 40 Rector Street, 7th Fl. New York, NY 10006 www.nyccfb.info Questions/Comments 212.306.7100 press@nyccfb.info

An early look at the data suggests that the program gave everyday New Yorkers a powerful voice in the political process. The $6-to-$1 match on the rst $175 of contributions made by City residents encourages candidates to raise smalldollar contributions from their fellow New Yorkers. Participating candidates responded; two-thirds of all contributors were City residents, and nearly three-fourths of contributors gave $250 or less.

86.9%

contributors giving more than $250

City Council

35.8% 64.2%
contributors giving $250 or less contributors giving more than $250

(continued on page 2)
Citywide Offices

CFB Marks End of 2013 Election Cycle, Launches Post-Election Review (from page 1)
The end of the election cycle signals the beginning of a new phase of work at the CFB, as the post-election reviews get underway in earnest. In the coming months, nearly half the CFBs staff will be working on the post-election audits required for all campaigns. Following every citywide election, the CFB reviews the performance of the campaign nance program, as required by law. This review culminates in September with the publication of the CFBs post-election report, which will include a comprehensive analysis of campaign nance data disclosed by 2013 campaigns, and detailed recommendations for further reforms to the Citys campaign nance system. A crucial element in this review is public feedback. The CFB will hold a post-election hearing on February 13, at 10 am, to provide candidates, campaign personnel, voters, and members of the public with an opportunity to share their observations about the Campaign Finance Program and the work of the CFB during the 2013 elections. Along with public testimony, the hearing will include panel discussions with invited speakers on subjects central to the CFBs mission: the matching funds program, independent expenditures, voter education and engagement, and the role of technology in improving elections in New York City. Visit the CFB website to learn more about the hearing and how to RSVP to attend or testify. Democracy is stronger when we all speak up. We hope to see you on February 13.

A Big Finish to 2013 Elections for NYC Votes; YPLs Ramya Ramana Steps to Big Stage
The Voter Assistance Advisory Committee (VAAC) held its annual hearing on December 16 to review the busy 2013 election season for NYC Votes, the CFBs voter education and engagement campaign. The hearing provided a forum for New Yorkers to talk about the voting experience in New York City and suggest ways to improve it. Newly-elected Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer presented long-time VAAC member Jane Kalmus with a proclamation recognizing her tireless efforts over 50-plus years to increase voter participation and protect voting rights in New York City. Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg sent his own letter to Ms. Kalmus, celebrating her contributions to the city: From founding the National Nonpartisan Voter Registration Campaign to your most recent role advising the Campaign Finance Board as VAAC commissioner, the mayor wrote, you have helped empower New Yorkers by increasing voter engagement throughout the ve boroughs. The hearing was also a forum for VAAC members to thank our many business, educational and non-prot partners for their contributions to the NYC Votes campaign in 2013. The Department of Youth and Community Development was presented with an award for Excellence in Public Outreach for encouraging the citys Jane Kalmus (seated) with youth to be civically(left to right) Art Chang, Amy Loprest, minded, and the City Jeanne B. Mullgrav, Onida Coward Mayers University of New York was awarded for Excellence in Integrating Voter Engagement for educating students on CUNY campuses about the importance of voting. The 2014 statewide elections are just around the corner and NYC Votes is gearing up to continue its efforts to educate and engage all New Yorkers. In addition, VAAC will continue pushing for changes in the law to make it easier for New Yorkers to participate in civic affairs. To sustain and increase voter engagement, we need a system that makes it easier for new voters to proceed through each step in the process that begins with registration and ends at their polling place, with a completed, scanned ballot, said VAAC Chair Art Chang. Together, we must continue striving for a simpler, more responsive, more customer-focused election system. 2014 Youth Poet Laureate Performs at Mayoral Inauguration Ramya Ramana, the NYC Votes 2014 Youth Poet Laureate, stepped onto the world stage at the New Years Day inauguration ceremony at City Hall. Ms. Ramanas performed an original composition, We Will No Longer Stay Silent to This Classism, that was commissioned for the occasion by Mayor de Blasio. The New York Times hailed her performance as show-stopping, and writers from around the globe offered similarly warm reviews. As Youth Poet Laureate, Ramya will appear across New York City throughout the year to motivate her peers to take an active role in their communities and in civic life.

Ramya Ramana, 2014 Youth Poet Laureate