NYC Bill Would Put Face on Anonymous Attack Ads

While federal candidates are required to disclose their approval of campaign ads, and groups that make independent expenditures in city races must identify themselves, New York City office seekers may trash their opponents freely without ever owning up to it. That would change under legislation being proposed by Daniel R. Garodnick, a councilman from Manhattan. His bill to ban anonymous campaign ads would not necessarily put an end to them altogether: The Campaign Finance Board would still have to identify those responsible. But it could impose fines according to how widely the ads circulated.