Metro

Pro-Lhota PAC lawsuit hints at serious spending

A political action committee backing Joe Lhota’s campaign for mayor filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday to strike down the state’s $150,000 campaign-contribution limit — raising the possibility of a gusher of spending to boost the underdog Republican candidate.

The suit filed by the New York Progress and Protection PAC claims the US Supreme Court, in the high-profile Citizens United ruling in 2010, barred states from limiting individual, corporate and union contributions to independent political action committees.
The State Board of Elections, listed as a defendant in the case, insists the state’s $150,000 annual cap on individual donors applies to PACs and candidates alike.
But until Wednesday, no one had challenged New York’s law.
Lawyers for the PAC asked Manhattan federal Judge Paul Crotty to issue a preliminary injunction invalidating the state law, which would allow deep-pocketed supporters to go all in for Lhota.
“Time is of the essence,” said PAC lawyer Mike Carvin, referring to the mayoral election six weeks away, on Nov. 5.
Carvin said courts in nine states have struck down laws similar to New York’s.
The pro-Lhota PAC has its roots in Washington, DC, and is led by Craig Engle, a veteran Republican election lawyer who served as counsel to the national National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Until now, NYPP has not put any funds into the mayoral race.
A separate PAC, New Yorkers for Proven Leadership, formed to help Lhota, is financed largely by billionaire industrialist David Koch and has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on TV ads promoting the GOP candidate.
Lhota is trailing Democratic rival Bill de Blasio by more than 40 points in public polls.
De Blasio blasted the lawsuit.
“The Koch brothers and right-wing billionaires are suing to dismantle New York’s election laws so they can funnel millions trying to elect Republican Joe Lhota, but New Yorkers won’t let Tea Party extremists undermine our campaign-finance system,” said de Blasio spokesman Dan Levitan.
Some political insiders speculated that conservatives opposed to spending limits filed the lawsuit to make a national splash as much as to help Lhota.
Meanwhile, the candidates clashed Wednesday after de Blasio announced an endorsement by the Uniformed Firefighters Association.
Lhota’s campaign quickly accused de Blasio of flip-flopping on firehouse closures.
At the endorsement event outside Engine 8 in Soho, de Blasio touted his 2003 arrest when, as a city councilman, he joined demonstrators fighting to save Engine 204 in Cobble Hill.
Lhota’s camp jabbed de Blasio for having changed course in 2007 by saying the closure of two firehouses that year — including Engine 204 — was a “fair and balanced outcome.”
But the full article quoting him shows de Blasio ’s words referred to a plan to lease Engine 204 for 20 years — not shutter it.