Marina Pino

@leaderasc.bsky.social + @speakercarlheastie.bsky.social made clear they are committed to supporting a democracy that works for all New Yorkers. We are counting on them to see that commitment through the final budget negotiations so the state can remain a beacon of smooth and secure elections.

We’re also glad to see the proposals include $2.5 million for the statewide database for voting and election data, which is critical to realizing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York’s promise of a more inclusive, multiracial democracy.

How States Can Fill Election Security Gaps Left by Federal Cuts From cybersecurity assessments and training to coordination with law enforcement agencies, state governments need to provide wide-ranging support to ensure smooth and secure elections.

Together, this funding shows that lawmakers stand behind local election officials, even when the federal government does the opposite. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

The Senate + Assembly proposals also prioritize necessary resources for New York’s local boards of elections. Both houses committed to supporting operating costs for this year’s election, and the Senate provided funds for an election security navigator program.

Poll Shows New Yorkers Continue to Support Public Campaign Finance After its successful start in 2024, a large majority of voters across parties want state leaders to keep funding New York’s small donor public financing program.

Recent polling makes clear that a majority of NY voters support the state’s program, across demographics including race, age, and political party. And today’s news shows the state’s leaders back it, too. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

The program’s success stands to reach new levels w/ statewide candidates eligible for matching funds for the first time and significantly more legislative candidates opting in. 440 candidates signed up this year -- well over 100 more candidates than in the program’s first cycle.

New York State’s Public Campaign Financing Program Empowers Constituent Small Donors The matching program’s inaugural run expanded legislative candidates’ reliance on small donors from within their districts.

With full funding, the program can keep shifting power away from megadonors in NYS politics. In its first run in 2024, the program did just that, making local constituents giving modest amounts a far more important part of fundraising. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

📣The NYS Senate + Assembly included full funding ($116.1M) for the state’s landmark Public Campaign Finance Program, matching Gov. Hochul’s executive budget proposal. This support signifies an investment in civic participation at a time when American democracy really needs it.

Pro-Trump Super PAC Raises Record-Breaking $305 Million MAGA Inc. has relied on multimillion-dollar donors to raise an unprecedented amount in support of a lame duck president.

In a new high (low?) for the super PAC era, the pro-Trump MAGA Inc. raised $305 million AFTER the last election Trump can run in. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

State Legislatures Can Push Back Against Citizens United State lawmakers can fight the influence of big money in politics by passing trigger laws that would go into effect if the Supreme Court’s misguided ruling is reversed.

And states can challenge Citizens United’s legitimacy by passing trigger laws that go into effect if + when the decision is overturned. This, coupled w/ the above immediate fixes, would be a major step toward fixing our government + making it work for everyone. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

Small Donor Public Financing, Explained Public financing is the most effective solution we have to the problem of big money in politics.

More states and localities should offer some version of public financing – the most powerful answer to the outsize influence of megadonors in elections. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

Nine Solutions for Political Corruption A new era of anticorruption reform is long overdue.

But the Court alone doesn't determine our democracy’s future. Other branches of gov't must step up. Congress should amend the Constitution to restore campaign finance limits + enact major reforms to counter the unprecedented corruption in the federal government. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

Money in Politics Roundup — October 2025 Our new recurring feature covers key stories from the world of campaign finance and influence buying, from the AI industry to super PAC support for a lame-duck president.

The story continues in odd years. Last year, the main pro-Trump super PAC raised a record-breaking $200M in the 8 months *after* Trump’s reelection. Spending reached historic highs in the NJ + VA gubernatorial races. And big money flooded CA’s Prop 50 measure. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

None of this massive, coordinated, and secret spending would have been legal before Citizens United – a decision that 5 justices reasoned could not lead to a substantial risk of corruption based on the flawed assumption that money flowing through elections would remain independent and transparent.

Dark Money Hit a Record High of $1.9 Billion in 2024 Federal Races Spending by groups that do not disclose their donors has increased and become harder to trace.

Dark money reached an all-time high of $1.9 billion across federal races – roughly double the total spent in 2020. And that’s the money we could identify. The real total is certainly higher. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

Fifteen Years Later, Citizens United Defined the 2024 Election The influence of wealthy donors and dark money was unprecedented. Much of it would have been illegal before the Supreme Court swept away long-established campaign finance rules.

The 2024 election makes this crystal clear. Thanks to Citizens United, a handful of ultrawealthy Americans and their super PACs donated without limit (with one effectively running Trump’s winning campaign). www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

Citizens United, Explained The 2010 Supreme Court decision further tilted political influence toward wealthy donors and corporations.

Sixteen years ago today, #SCOTUS handed down its infamous Citizens United ruling that ignited a rush of money into American politics. This decision has since dangerously expanded the already outsized political power of the wealthiest donors in our elections. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

Nine Solutions for Political Corruption A new era of anticorruption reform is long overdue.

Americans face a fusion of public power and private wealth to a degree not seen in the past century, if ever. Our latest report outlines nine solutions to combat corruption. Far-reaching reforms are long-overdue.
bit.ly/4r62EnZ

NYC Is Voting on Moving Its Elections to Even Years. Here’s Why it Matters. Shifting city elections to even-numbered years is proven to increase turnout among eligible voters, especially those from underserved communities.

NYC voters are deciding on a ballot measure aimed at shifting odd-year city elections to even years. Such a change would increase voter turnout and save the city millions of dollars. bit.ly/3WsjJes

The consequence of financial elites getting such special treatment is that the public’s trust in government will continue to erode. Reform has never been more urgent.

As my Brennan Center colleagues have noted, there are currently roughly 15,000 applications for commutations and pardons pending at DOJ. Those should be the priority. www.brennancenter.org/media/7083/d...

Politicized pardons and favorable legal treatment certainly did not start with Trump. But the scale and frequency of these decisions over the past year have been unprecedented.

Political Donors Should Not Be Above the Law The line between public service and private gain continues to blur as financial elites secure pardons and regulatory leniency following campaign contributions.

This is only the latest example of a pardon or other favorable legal treatment going to one of the President’s benefactors. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

Money in Politics Roundup — October 2025 Our new recurring feature covers key stories from the world of campaign finance and influence buying, from the AI industry to super PAC support for a lame-duck president.

Moreover, Binance is a key player in the crypto industry, an industry that has donated heavily to Trump’s campaign and inauguration. (There’s no record of Binance specifically contributing to the inaugural fund.) www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

Trump Pardons Convicted Binance Founder The pardon follows months of efforts by Changpeng Zhao to boost the Trump family’s own crypto company.

President Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao who pleaded guilty to money laundering in 2023. Binance is also reportedly a major supporter of the Trump family's World Liberty Financial. www.wsj.com/finance/curr...

Up next: NYC voters can show they are ready to bring this policy to their communities by voting for Proposal 6 this fall to move city elections to even years. Doing so will show Albany they too want an even-year system, with all the benefits of a more inclusive democracy.

Experience across the country shows that this policy boosts turnout + promotes participation by a more representative electorate. Communities across NYS deserve to experience these benefits, and starting next year, many voters will.

New York Court of Appeals Rules State’s Even-Year Election Law Constitutional Today the New York Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a 2023 state law moving many county and town elections outside of New York City from odd to even-numbered years.

📢ICYMI: Today, the New York Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a state law moving many county and town elections outside of New York City to even-numbered years. This is a huge win for New York’s democracy. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

Leaders in Albany must listen to what the majority of voters want ahead of the 2026 cycle and fund this historic system so it can deliver the responsive government which communities across New York want and deserve.

New York State’s Public Campaign Financing Program Empowers Constituent Small Donors The matching program’s inaugural run expanded legislative candidates’ reliance on small donors from within their districts.

Voters' strong backing of public financing follows the program’s successful first run, where candidates relied much more on local, everyday New Yorkers – demonstrating an alternative path forward from last year's billionaire-funded elections elsewhere. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...