Spitzer Will ‘Unilaterally Disarm' on Day One

Breaking with Albany's political conventions, Governor-elect Spitzer yesterday said he would "unilaterally disarm" upon taking office, imposing on himself and his administration an array of campaign finance, ethics, and lobbying restrictions that are intended to improve the image of state government.

In his first major policy announcement since his landslide election, Mr. Spitzer said he would deny himself many of the perks enjoyed by Governor Pataki and past state leaders.

In a press conference in Albany, Mr. Spitzer said he would no longer accept campaign contributions of more than $10,000, a fraction of the legal limit of $50,100 for statewide candidates. He also pledged to close a fund-raising loophole from which his gubernatorial campaign reaped hundreds of thousands of dollars: He will prohibit contributions from limited liability companies controlled by individuals or entities that have already given the legal maximum.

The governor-elect, 47, a millionaire resident of the Upper East Side, also said he wouldn't hold fund-raisers in the Albany region during legislative sessions, which traditionally run between January and the end of June.

The most significant change appears to be in the area of lobbying. Mr. Spitzer said he would issue an executive order that would ban former state employees from lobbying any executive branch agency for two years. He's also prohibiting state employees from accepting political gifts that are any more extravagant than a cup of coffee. To enforce these new measures, he said he's hiring an inspector general who will "pursue corruption in government without fear or favor."

"I have heard people say, ‘I cannot unilaterally disarm,'" Mr. Spitzer was reported to have said. "We are doing that today."

In Albany, government watchdog groups cheered the news, although a few noted that Mr. Spitzer waited until being elected to set a higher bar and said the changes won't affect the state Democratic Party, Mr. Spitzer's main political arm.

The self-imposed restrictions were also a direct challenge to Albany's establishment, often criticized for its lax lobbying and campaign finance laws and its culture of secrecy.

The Democratic speaker of the Assembly, Sheldon Silver, called Mr. Spitzer's announcement "welcome news," saying he has championed similar measures. But Mr. Spitzer's restrictions are likely to put pressure on Mr. Silver to change some of his own practices. Watchdog groups have urged Mr. Silver, who is employed by a plaintiffs' law firm, Weitz & Luxenberg, to disclose his tax returns.

It's not clear if other statewide candidates would follow Mr. Spitzer's approach. Attorney General-elect Andrew Cuomo said he was reviewing the plans and would release his own ethics package shortly.

With these new restrictions Mr. Spitzer is attempting to chip away at the public's cynical perception of Albany. In his announcement, he stressed the importance of symbolism and appearances. He said he is prohibiting public agency commissioners from running for political office while serving as state employees because "it creates the appearance that they may be taking positions or actions in their official capacity for the purpose of benefiting their political campaign." The word "appearance" was used in three other instances in his press release.

Speaking to reporters, the Republican majority leader of the state Senate, Joseph Bruno, suggested that the importance of public appearances may be overrated. "To me, perception is nonsense," Mr. Bruno said, according to the Albany Times Union newspaper. "People should have a right to support people for office, in whatever ways are honest, above-board, and appropriate."

Several items in the agenda appeared to be aimed squarely at the Pataki administration. Mr. Spitzer said he and his lieutenant governor, David Paterson, would refuse to appear in taxpayer-funded commercials. Raising hackles among state Democrats, Mr. Pataki, a three-term governor who is considering a White House run, routinely featured himself in tax-funded "I Love New York" tourism ads and spots promoting state health programs.

Mr. Spitzer is also turning away fees for speeches. Mr. Pataki's 2005 tax return showed that he earned more than $140,000 for delivering 10 speeches outside the state. In 1988, Governor Cuomo reportedly collected $128,600 in speech fees.

Mr. Spitzer spent $33 million in the governor's race, about 10 times more than his Republican opponent, John Faso. State election records show that Mr. Spitzer's campaign received 577 contributions of more than $10,000 from individuals, limited liability companies, and limited liability partnerships, totaling about $11.6 million. The sum does not include donors who gave multiple contributions totaling more than $10,000.

If Mr. Spitzer had restricted donations to $10,000, he would have had to forgo at least $6 million, leaving him well ahead of Mr. Faso. Mr. Spitzer received 21,599 donations of $10,000 or less, totaling $29 million, representing the bulk of the money. He has about $8 million remaining in his campaign account.