Lavine Bill Prevents Campaign Cash from Paying Out Sex Claims

ALBANY, NEW YORK - Assemblymember Charles Lavine is sponsoring a bill that would prevent politicians from using campaign funds to pay for settlements stemming from sexual harassment claims. From Vito Lopez to Andrew Cuomo and, most recently, California gubernatorial candidate Eric Swalwell, there have been countless instances in which high-profile cases of harassment by elected officials and those running for office used money raised for their campaigns to pay their legal bills instead of what the money was intended for. Now, Lavine, Chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee and former Chair of the Ethics Committee, hopes his bill A07463 will put a stop to the practice. “Shockingly, as the law is currently written, using campaign funds to pay settlement fees, including paying out sexual harassment settlements, is legal,” Lavine said. He added, “However, I believe this practice is an abysmal breach of the public's trust that their contributions are being used to support a proper campaign." The bill would amend the election law by adding language that does not allow campaign funds to be used to pay settlement fees for sexual harassment, civil or criminal action, investigation, or prosecution for alleged violations of state law, alleged to have been committed by a candidate, public or party official, members of their immediate family, or domestic partner.

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Assemblymember Charles Lavine represents New York’s 13th Assembly District in Nassau County. He presently serves as Chair of the Judiciary Committee and is a member of the Committees on Codes, Ethics and Guidance, Insurance and Rules. Lavine previously served as Chair of the Election Law Committee, Chair of the Committee on Ethics and Guidance, co-Chair of the New York State Legislative Ethics Commission, and as Chair of the bipartisan Taskforce that produced the Assembly Speaker’s Policy on Sexual Harassment, Retaliation and Discrimination. Lavine is also President of the New York Chapter of the National Association of Jewish Legislators and a member of its National Board of Directors.