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CITY’S CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION LIMITS TO REMAIN
Committee of Seventy Expresses Excitement with Pennsylvania
Supreme Court Ruling
PHILADELPHIA – December 30, 2007 – The Committee of Seventy today praised the 5-2 decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court upholding Philadelphia’s campaign finance ordinance. Seventy has been battling to protect the ordinance in the state courts for almost two years, most recently by filing an amicus brief in the high Court case in support of the Commonwealth Court’s April 2nd decision upholding the constitutionality of the ordinance. The Supreme Court’s decision puts an end to legal efforts undertaken by several 2007 mayoral candidates to dismantle the ordinance in the state courts.
“Seventy has consistently maintained that campaign contribution limitations play a significant role in diminishing the opportunity for pay-to-play,” said Zack Stalberg, Seventy’s President and CEO. “The fact that there was a real limit to the buying and selling of influence made a huge impact on the election.” Stalberg noted that Mayor-Elect Michael Nutter attributed his victory, in part, to the “level-playing field” that resulted from all candidates, with the exception of self-funded Democrat Tom Knox, abiding by the same rules on contributions and spending.
Stalberg said that the Supreme Court’s decision paves the way for the Mayor-Elect to follow through on his pledge – made both in response to Seventy’s Ethics Agenda and in his own position paper on Ethics and Government Reform – to convene an independent panel to undertake a comprehensive review of the ordinance. “This year’s first test of the City campaign finance ordinance revealed that it is by no means foolproof,” he said. Stalberg noted as an example the absence of any provisions regarding the activities of, and contributors to, “527” committees, which Seventy condemned during the spring primary for mounting personal and racially motivated ads on individual candidates.
Seventy urges the Mayor-Elect to convene the independent panel during his first 100 days in office to allow ample time for public hearings and debate, as well as an examination of how other cities successfully regulate campaign finance.
“The Supreme Court’s decision is a very good ending to what has been a very pivotal election year,” Stalberg concluded. “It bodes well for Philadelphia’s ability to develop a national reputation as a City that is really doing something to restore integrity in government.”
The Committee of Seventy is a non-partisan organization conducting a permanent campaign to improve the Philadelphia region by demanding ethical conduct of public officials, safeguarding elections, promoting government efficiency and educating citizens.
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