Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Gov. Hochul vetoes bill at center of NY chief judge battle
By
Jon Campbell
Published Dec 9, 2023
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Lev Radin/Pacific Press/Shutterstock
By
Jon Campbell
Published Dec 9, 2023
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Ten months after state lawmakers rejected Gov. Kathy Hochul’s first pick for New York’s chief judge, the aftershocks of that battle within the state’s Democratic Party continue to ripple through Albany.
On Friday, Hochul vetoed a bill that would have required organizations to disclose what they’re spending — and which lobbyists they’re hiring — when they advocate for or against a gubernatorial nominee.
The bill — which state lawmakers passed earlier this year — was a direct response to the extensive lobbying battle earlier this year over Hector LaSalle, an Appellate Division judge Hochul nominated for chief judge of the state Court of Appeals late last year.
Had Hochul signed the bill, it would have applied retroactively — meaning the lobbyists who led a public and behind-the-scenes campaign for LaSalle would have been required to disclose.
In a veto message, Hochul suggested that would be inappropriate.
“This bill would impose significant new reporting requirements on people who might not already be reporters, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2023,” Hochul wrote. “Additionally, this would impose implementation costs not already accounted for in the state financial plan.”
The Democrat-led state Senate rejected Hochul’s nomination of LaSalle in February, marking the first time senators rejected a governor’s pick for chief judge since the state adopted the current nomination process in the 1970s. The rejection marked a low point in Hochul’s relationship with the Legislature since she took office in 2021.
At the time, some Democratic senators expressed concern about LaSalle signing on to a prior decision that angered labor unions. They also raised issues with what they perceived as a rightward shift on the state Court of Appeals, the state’s top court, and whether LaSalle would be too conservative for their liking.
State law requires anyone spending $5,000 in a calendar year in an attempt to influence state legislation or regulations to register as a lobbyist in New York, which requires them — and their hired lobbyists — to disclose what they’re spending on the effort.
But the law is silent when it comes to gubernatorial nominations. That meant the organizations that advocated for LaSalle — with names like Citizens for Judicial Fairness and Latinos for LaSalle — didn’t have to publicly reveal what they were spending in an attempt to influence senators.
That prompted a bill from Deputy Senate Majority Leader Michael Gianaris, a Queens Democrat, and Albany-area Assemblymember John McDonald that sought to close what they saw as a loophole in state law.
The bill, which lawmakers approved overwhelmingly, would have required lobbyists to disclose their spending and clients whenever they lobbied for or against a gubernatorial nominee.
But unlike many bills, this one would have gone back in time to take effect — meaning it would have applied to any such lobbying since the start of 2023 going forward, rather than taking effect when the governor signs it. That was intentional; it would have captured the spending that took place at the height of the battle over LaSalle’s nomination.
In a statement, Gianaris said he isn’t pleased with Hochul’s veto.
“This veto is disappointing as there appears to be no good argument against this proposal and no good justification for this veto,” he said. “I will continue working to enact this legislation and other efforts to advance transparency and accountability.”
After the Senate rejected Hochul’s first pick, the governor nominated Rowan Wilson — a liberal-leaning justice already on the Court of Appeals — for chief judge. The Senate easily confirmed him.
The bill was one of 22 that Hochul vetoed on Friday, to go along with 38 she signed. She has until the end of the month to act on an additional 101 bills that still await her signature after the Legislature approved them earlier in the year.
Tagged
new york state
Politics
Jon Campbell
Jon Campbell covers the New York State Capitol for WNYC and Gothamist. Prior to that, he covered the Capitol for more than a decade for the USA TODAY Network. He has twice earned the Walter T. Brown Memorial Award, an honor given annually by the Legislative Correspondents Association alumni for outstanding state government coverage. Jon grew up in the Buffalo area and graduated from the University at Albany. Got a tip? Email Jon at [email protected] or Signal at JonCampbellNY.90.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
Some regulars at the East Village park want to preserve its not-so-fancy offerings.
By
Willow Higgins
Published Oct 17, 2026 at 7:00 a.m. ET
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
News
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
By
Jessica Gould
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .