Madmallard
.223 Rem
It took a federal judge to reign in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s fiercest strikes against his good government critics, ending a three-year court battle over a state law that would have required the watchdog groups to disclose their donors.
Manhattan federal court Judge Denise Cote sided with a coalition of government watchdog groups last week, ruling that the Cuomo-backed measure from 2016 would have a “chilling effect” on free speech and “places a significant burden on the First Amendment.”
“This state law targeted not-for-profit ‘good government’ groups for having the temerity to raise ethics issues and try to get the government to do better. It’s blatantly unconstitutional,” said lawyer and Citizens Union board member Randy Mastro.
The law’s requirements forcing nonprofits like Mastro’s to disclose their donor’s identities was never enforced because of the federal litigation.
https://nypost.com/2019/10/07/cuomo...gainst-government-watchdogs-in-federal-court/
Manhattan federal court Judge Denise Cote sided with a coalition of government watchdog groups last week, ruling that the Cuomo-backed measure from 2016 would have a “chilling effect” on free speech and “places a significant burden on the First Amendment.”
“This state law targeted not-for-profit ‘good government’ groups for having the temerity to raise ethics issues and try to get the government to do better. It’s blatantly unconstitutional,” said lawyer and Citizens Union board member Randy Mastro.
The law’s requirements forcing nonprofits like Mastro’s to disclose their donor’s identities was never enforced because of the federal litigation.
https://nypost.com/2019/10/07/cuomo...gainst-government-watchdogs-in-federal-court/