O'Brien to testify at campaign finance hearing

• What: Attorney General Eric Schneiderman will be holding a hearing regarding closing loopholes in how nonprofit groups report their political expenditures – an important campaign finance reform.
• When: Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, at 12 p.m.
• Where: Central Library, Lafayette Square, Buffalo, N.Y.

Additional information:

• The attorney general is pushing to require donor disclosure for nonprofit organizations that spend more than $10,000 on political purposes.
• Sen. O’Brien has been invited to testify about his experience being targeted by attack ads from the Virginia-based “Common Sense Principles” 501(c)(4) group, which spent over $1,000,000 attempting to influence the outcome of New York races.
• Under current law, since the group did not explicitly say who to vote for, its attacks on Sen. O’Brien are not considered “campaigning.” And where the group’s money comes from can stay largely anonymous.
• This will be the Attorney General’s office’s only public hearing to be held west of Albany.

-30-

Sen. O’Brien represents the 55th district in the Senate, which is made up of the eastern half of Monroe County and the western half of Ontario County, including much of the city of Rochester.

Media contact:

Thomas J. Morrisey
Communications Director
office: (585) 223-1800
e-mail: tjmorris@nysenate.gov