“For too long New York State election laws have been called the most lax in our nation.” said Assemblyman Lavine. “Just in Nassau County over the past couple of years we have seen multiple indictments of public officials at every conceivable level of government, including County Executive Ed Mangano and Former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos. These officials have all dipped into their campaign accounts to fund the criminal defense of their federal indictments to the tune of millions of dollars collectively. A campaign for elected office should not be a legal defense fund. Indicted officials like Mangano and Skelos have betrayed the very donors who expect their interests and beliefs to be represented in government. A recent proposal by the Republican majority in the Nassau County Legislature does not prevent unscrupulous behavior from happening. My legislation will close this lifeline to corrupt politicians and stop this criminal activity before it happens.”