ALBANY — A government reform group is calling on Gov. Cuomo‘s anti-corruption commission to review the telecommunications industry as part of its probe into potential links between political giving and bills.
A Common Cause/New York report due out Monday shows that the telecommunications industry in New York has donated nearly $12 million since 2005, most of which went to campaign committees controlled by the leadership in both legislative houses.
“Big Telecom exemplifies the pay-to-play culture which has come to define Albany, giving generously to the leadership in exchange for veto power over bills which favor the public interest,” said Common Cause/ New York executive director Susan Lerner.
The report lists a number of bills with bipartisan support that the industry has successfully lobbied against in recent years. They include one that would take away state grants and tax breaks if a company moves its call center to another country and another that would create a state office of consumer advocate to represent interests of residential utility customers.
Cablevision ($5.3 million), Time Warner Cable ($2.3 million) and Verizon ($2 million) were the largest contributors in New York.
The report found that telecommunications companies often take advantage of two loopholes in the campaign finance law that allow them skirt the $5,000 annual donation limit for corporations.
The state Senate GOP Committee was the biggest beneficiary, having received $2.8 million from cable and phone companies since 2005 followed by the state Democratic Party ($1.48 million), the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee ($1.2 million), Democratic Senate Campaign Committee ($906,641), and Gov. Cuomo ($607,616).
After the Legislature rejected Cuomo’s call for ethics reform following a spate of lawmaker arrests this spring, the governor followed through on a longstanding threat to create a commission with subpoena power to investigate government corruption in New York.
Cuomo charged the Moreland Commission with finding potential illegal behavior that can be referred to law enforcement as well as recommending changes to the campaign finance and election systems.
klovett@nydailynews.com
