Slater calls for more transparency from Public Campaign Finance Board:

YORKTOWN, N.Y.—As New York state’s joint budget hearings continue, Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) and Assemblyman Matt Slater (R,C-Yorktown) are demanding greater transparency and accountability from the Public Campaign Finance Board (PCFB). The board, responsible for overseeing the state’s taxpayer-funded campaign finance system, is notably absent from the witness list for the Local Government/General Government joint budget hearing scheduled for today, Feb. 4. This absence raises serious concerns about the lack of direct oversight, especially as several election advocacy groups are scheduled to testify at the hearing on the program.
 

In December, Assemblyman Ra sent a letter to legislative leaders urging that PCFB representatives be invited to testify regarding its administration of the program. Despite the board overseeing a public campaign financing system that will spend $235 million in taxpayer funding for public matching funds, the PCFB has not been scheduled to appear before the Legislature to address concerns about the program’s execution and financial oversight.

“We deserve transparency when it comes to how our tax dollars are being spent,” said Assemblyman Slater, ranking member of the Committee on Election Law. “With the first election cycle with public campaign finance completed, members of the legislature should have the ability to ask pertinent questions before more dollars are allocated but that’s Albany – little oversight and no accountability of millions of taxpayer dollars being spent. The Public Campaign Finance Board’s absence is unacceptable—it must be held accountable for its stewardship of these funds.”

“The Public Campaign Finance Board is responsible for managing hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, with many more to come as statewide offices will also utilize the system in 2026,” said Assemblyman Ra, ranking member of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee. “We have just gone through the first election cycle using this system, and it’s wrong that lawmakers are being denied the opportunity to raise concerns directly with the board on the program’s effectiveness and efficiency.”

New York State’s public campaign financing system was implemented for legislative candidates for the first time during the 2024 election cycle and is set to expand to statewide candidates in 2026. To date, more than $46.8 million has been given to the board for staffing and administration, with an additional $35 million provided to candidates for various legislative elections.
 

Assemblyman Matt Slater represents the 94th Assembly District, which includes parts of Putnam and Westchester counties, including the towns of Kent, Patterson, Putnam Valley, Carmel, Southeast, Somers and Yorktown, as well as the village of Brewster.