When you see a political ad on Instagram, a mailer in your mailbox, or a robocall on your phone, you deserve to know who paid for it.

Right now in New York State, billionaires and corporations can spend unlimited money on political ads through Super PACs and dark money groups without ever putting their names on the ads you see. They report their donors to a government database, but almost no one checks that. So the people trying to influence your vote stay hidden.

NYC already fixed this. In city elections, political ads have to list their top three donors directly on the ad. It's simple: if you're spending money to influence voters, voters get to see your name.

In the 2025 mayoral race, Super PACs spent over $50 million trying to sway the election. The biggest donors? Michael Bloomberg ($9.8 million), the Lauder family ($2.6 million), and hedge fund manager Bill Ackman ($1.75 million). NYC voters could see those names on the ads. The rest of New York doesn't get that transparency.

State Senator Patricia Fahy introduced a bill (S8445) to bring this standard to the rest of New York. It would require all independent expenditure ads to list their top three donors who gave over $1,000.

This isn't about left or right. It's about transparency. If someone's spending millions to shape how you think about a candidate, you should know who they are.

We're calling on the NY State Senate to pass S8445 and end anonymous political ads in New York.