Zephyr Teachout says the public is in a fight with big money for the country. She spoke Thursday night for a session sponsored by the League of Women Voters in the studios of WNED-TV.
A Democratic primary opponent of Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2014 and an associate law professor at Fordham, Teachout is a longtime critic of money driving corruption, nationally and in New York.
"There is, I believe, a deeply corrupt political culture in New York, an acceptance of the idea that you go into politics to get favors and do favors and a deep, deep, deep cynicism in Albany and culture," said Teachout, who is teaching a course this semester on political corruption in the state.
Earlier in the day, former State Assemblyman William Boyland was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for taking bribes and stealing public money, the latest state legislator sent to prison. Teachout says the public wants changes like public financing of elections and the Supreme Court seems willing to allow that.
She blasted decisions from the Supreme Court on campaign financing, especially money from the very rich. Teachout says public financing might still be allowed.
"With this court, we not be able to do anything about outside spending. We may not be able to do anything about the limits of individual donors but we can separately be building another infrastructure, a public financing infrastructure that at least enables candidates to get heard in their relevant district without have a lot of money and without having big money backers," said Teachout.
Teachout says New York City's public financing system allows candidates to get a message out there, even without being able to raise large amounts of money. She says that should be spread statewide and the public is increasingly in favor of doing that.
