NYC Campaign Finance Board Announces Beth Rotman Will Be Executive Director

09/29/2022

The New York City Campaign Finance Board announces that Beth Rotman, a nationally recognized political law and policy expert and leader on small-donor public campaign finance programs, has been appointed to the role of Executive Director. She will start at the CFB on October 24.

Rotman is currently the National Director of Money in Politics & Ethics at Common Cause where she advocates for stronger guardrails against abuses of power, and other reforms that promote fairer and more inclusive democratic structures. Rotman was the founding director of the state of Connecticut's public financing program, leading the operation and oversight while encouraging record-breaking participation for a new program. The appointment marks a return to the CFB for Rotman; she served as the agency's Deputy General Counsel from 2003 to 2006. Earlier in her career, she was a law clerk for the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, where she worked closely with Supreme Court Justice (then Judge) Sonia Sotomayor, a former member of the Campaign Finance Board.

"Beth Rotman is a national leader on campaign finance and we are fortunate to bring her talent and creativity back to the New York City Campaign Finance Board," said Board Chair Frederick P. Schaffer. "The matching funds program expanded tremendously during the 2021 elections helping more candidates run strong campaigns and giving voters more choices on their ballot. Beth has the experience and vision for the program that will encourage even greater participation from candidates and voters."

"Most of the country is struggling to fix profoundly broken campaign finance and oversight systems in order to make any real progress, but New York City has delivered a dynamic small-donor program with an extraordinary arc of progress since its inception. Local small donors matter to candidates, and everyday New Yorkers are better represented in City government. Add to this the NYC Votes outreach and education initiative which has been nationally recognized for its excellence, and the CFB is truly offering New Yorkers a very strong model of how to deliver on democracy’s hope, possibility, and promise. I could not be more thrilled to return to the Campaign Finance Board at this exciting moment of growth,” said Rotman.

Rotman will be the third Executive Director since the Campaign Finance Board was founded in 1988. Amy Loprest, who has been Executive Director since 2006, announced her retirement in June. The agency's founding Executive Director, Nicole Gordon, served for 18 years starting in 1988.

As mandated by the City Charter, the five-member Campaign Finance Board selects the agency's Executive Director. The Board is composed of five members: two are appointed by the mayor, two by the speaker of the City Council, and the chair, by the mayor after consultation with the speaker. The Board is strictly nonpartisan, and the mayor’s and the speaker’s two appointees must not be affiliated with the same political party. Board members serve staggered, five-year terms.