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A nearly invisible group calling itself the Truth in Democracy Coalition distributed flyers attacking a New York State Senate candidate without registering as a political committee.
After Sludge exposed an unregistered political group in New York City, government watchdog Reinvent Albany has filed a formal complaint against the group, the Northeast Brooklyn Democratic Club, which likely violated campaign finance laws.
Unions, charter school boosters, the hospital lobby and other special interests have spent $2.2 million on independent expenditures in New York state races this year. Of the Senate spending, 69 percent is benefiting Democrats who have aligned with Republicans.
An eight-term state senator from North Brooklyn, who was recently exposed for failing to report thousands in campaign contributions, appears to have a shadow group that’s taking cash from the same real estate interests that fund his campaign.
The unions received as much as $1.5 billion in work on the $4 billion bridge
Councilmember Carlos Menchaca's legislative push was inspired by a Sludge investigation in July that discovered ongoing NYC government contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In a first in New York, the national progressive group endorsed in state legislative races, backing four challengers to members of the now-defunct IDC.
Democrat Tom Carper, who has a primary challenge on Sept. 6, says he is committed to fighting the opioid epidemic, but he has received thousands from Big Pharma and refuses to support a bill that would fund state's efforts to treat opioid addicts.
The next attorney general will set the tone on investigating and prosecuting bad actors in New York's multi-billion dollar real estate industry.
Efforts to limit the courts' role in creating district maps come as 2020 redistricting looms.
