Spitzer's Campaign Finance Reform Friends

A wide-ranging list of political figures met with Eliot Spitzer at a closed-door luncheon on Lexington Avenue, organized by the Brennan Center, to discuss his efforts to overhaul the state’s campaign finance laws.

It‘s something Spitzer has been advocating since he unilaterally disarmed by agreeing to a self-imposed contribution limit of $10,000, far below the current legal limit which is more than $50,000.

Spitzer said he and his supporters were “building a universe of citizens who care about ensuring the integrity of our process.” The state’s current campaign contribution limits are “extraordinarily high and bread an air of disrespect for substantive decisions that are made in Albany.”

Engaging the public is a key part of reform plan. “Very often what you hear from those who oppose campaign finance reform is, ‘well, the public doesn’t care,’” Spitzer said. “I think they are wrong. We will prove the public does care.”

Attendees at the event include:

Larry Rockefeller, a Republican,
Geraldine Ferraro, Larry Mone, Frederick Schwarz and Hendrik Hertzberg. Also:

Quenia Abreu New York Women's Commercial Committee
Richard Beattie, Esq. Simpson, Thacher and Bartlett
Candice Beinecke Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP
Frances Beinecke NRDC
Tom Bernstein Chelsea Piers
Boykin Curry Eagle Capital
Geraldine Ferraro The Global Consulting Group
Peter Fishbein Kaye Scholer
Harold Ford Debevoise & Plimpton
Victor Ganzi Hearst Corporation, President and CEO
Hendrik Hertzberg The New Yorker
Leo Hindrey
Fred Hochberg Milano School , The New School
Bob Hormats Goldman Sachs
Philip Howard Covington & Burly
Joe Ithier NYC Chamber of Commerce
James Johnson Debevoise & Plimpton
Rob Kaplan Goldman Sachs & Co
Derek Kirkland Morgan Stanley
Jerome Kohlberg
Jay Kriegel
Cathy Lasry
Peter Lewis
Brian Mathis Provident Group
Rob McKay The McKay Foundation
Terence Meehan Azimuth Trust
Larry Mone Manhattan Institute for Policy Research
Joseph Potasnik New York Board of Rabbis
Al Puchala Signal Equity Partners
Larry Rockefeller
Marisol Rodrigeuz Partnership for New York City
Jane Rosenthal Tribeca Film Festival
Fritz Schwarz Brennan Center for Justice
Peter Solomon Peter J. Solomon Company
Robert Soros
Ned Sullivan Scenic Hudson
Michael Waldman Brennan Center for Justice
Gregory Williams President of City College
Tim Zagat Zagat Survey
Rev. A. R. Bernard, Christian Cultural Center (by representative)
Cesar Perales, Executive Director, Puerto Rican Legal Defense & Education Fund