WFP and six local candidates, including Bill de Blasio (candidate for Public Advocate, ironically enough), Brad Lander, Daniel Dromm, et. al. broke campaign finance laws. That is a simple fact. WFP, and SOME (by no means all...John Liu for example did not participate) of their endorsed candidates played a little money scheme that allowed them to escape campaign finance laws that are designed to keep elections a tad cleaner and more transparent. They violated these laws, in effect using opaque and shady schemes to boost their effectiveness illegally.

Those are the facts and I personally think WFP needs to be held accountable for their violations...as do the candidates that participated.

Now some right wing nut cases (who I won't do the dignity of linking to) are picking up on this legitimate scandal and using it to show their attacks on ACORN (which WFP grew out of and is still connected with) were legit.  read more »

Americans for Democratic action, an abashedly liberal branch of the Democratic Party, has announced its endorsements for the September 15th Primary election. Founded in 1947, ADA is an independent liberal political organization dedicated to protecting individual liberty and expanding economic justice. Here are their recommendations (with my inevitable comments):

Mayor: Bill Thompson

Public Advocate: Norman Siegel (Siegel has also been endorsed by Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats, Democracy for NYC, Park River Independent Democrats (Upper West Side), the Village Reform Democratic Club, the Grand Council of Guardians (an organization of African-American law enforcement officials), Room 8 blogger and Brooklyn City Council candidate Rock Hackshaw, the New York Metro Area Postal Union (APWU, AFL-CIO), Audubon Reform Democratic Club (Hamilton Heights and Washington Heights), and Brooklyn Democrats for Change (Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights, Fort Hamilton, Bath Beach and Gravesend), The New York Community Council...and, of course, myself).

Comptroller: John Liu (Liu has also been endorsed by 504 Democratic Club (focused on disabled rights), El Nuevo Caribe Democratic Club of El Barrio/East Harlem, Lambda Independent Democrats, Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club of Queens, Stonewall Democrats of New York City, Staten Island Democratic Association, United Auto Workers, Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats, Barack Obama Democratic Club of Upper Manhattan, American Heritage Democratic Club...and about a gazillion others, including myself).

Manhattan District Attorney: Richard Aborn (I haven't endorsed in this race. Aborn has also been endorsed by Congressman Jerrold Nadler, State Senator Eric Adams, State Senator Daniel Squadron, 504 Democratic Club, OutPOCPAC, Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats, Barack Obama Democratic Club of Upper Manhattan, Village Independent Democrats, and others).

39th City Council District (Brooklyn): Josh Skaller (Josh has also been endorsed by Howard Dean, Jim Dean, Assemblyman Jim Brennan, State Senator Eric Adams, Democracy for America, Democracy for NYC, The New York Community Council, Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats, International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 237, 111 and 854, Service Employees International Union (Special Officers and Guards, Local 177), Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus, Carroll Gardens Coalition for Respectful Development and others...as well as myself.)

33rd City Council District (Brooklyn): Ken Diamondstone (I have endorsed Jo Anne Simon for this race, but Ken Diamondstone is another excellent candidate.)

19th City Council District (Queens): Steve Behar (Steve Behar has also been endorsed by Councilman Tony Avella, Democracy for America, Democracy for New York City, Queens County Progressive Democratic Club, The New York Community Council, Democrats for New Politics, Lesbian & Gay Democratic Club of Queens...and myself).

25th City Council District (Queens): Daniel Dromm (Daniel Dromm has also been endorsed by Stonewall Democrats, the United Federation of Teachers, 504 Democrats, among others. I endorsed him quite some time ago and think he is a very promising candidate, but I am concerned about his involvement in the Working Families Party scandal and have been unable to get a statement from his campaign).

I have been watching the unfolding WFP scandal with some interest, but have been waiting to comment. Partly I wasn't at first sure if we were talking minor technicalities that WFP ran afoul of or if we are talking about a deeper pattern of disregard for campaign finance laws. I am now thinking it is a deeper pattern of disregard for the law, or at least an attempt to skirt the laws, that we are talking about. [Couple of UPDATES added]

An article in City Hall News covers this developing scandal in considerable detail. Here is the breakdown they give of the scandal:  read more »

The 504 Democrats are a NYC-wide Democratic club focused on disabled rights. I came across a partial list of their 2009 endorsements (the full list is not up on their site at this point). These endorsements are for three city council candidates I have been supporting for some time now. The 504 Democrats have endorsed:

Council District 25 (Queens): Daniel Dromm (Daniel Dromm has also received the endorsements of Stonewall Democrats, the United Federation of Teachers, and ChangeNYC, among others)

Council District 3 (Manhattan): Yetta Kurland (Yetta Kurland has also gotten the endorsements of Downtown Independent Democrats, ChangeNYC, and the New York Blade, among others)

Council District 33: (Brooklyn): Jo Anne Simon (Jo Anne Simon has also gotten the endorsements of the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats, ChangeNYC, and Lambda Independent Democrats, among others)

I find it interesting that, at least on these three races, Change NYC, 504 Democrats, and I all agree.

Here is the mission statement of 504 Demorats:

The 504 Democratic Club is a New York City-based coalition of Democrats working towards inclusion of people with disabilities in the political and social fabric of society. Club members hail from all five boroughs, reaching across every conceivable line to include a richly diverse group of people with disabilities, public officials, friends and family who support the concepts set forth in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.