MANHATTAN — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand took a jab at presumed primary rival Harold Ford Jr. during a press conference Friday morning, saying it was "essential" that Ford reveal whether or not he had received a bonus from then-employer Bank of America, the Observer reported.
"Did he receive a bonus? Is it a taxpayer-backed bonus? I think it's essential that he disclose this information and I think it's only fair that New Yorkers have a right to know," Gillibrand said, according to the Observer.
Gillibrand has repeatedly raised the issue of the former Tennessee congressman's close ties to Wall Street and pressed him to reveal his compensation. Ford is currently a vice chairman at Merrill Lynch, but has taken a leave to explore a bid for Gillibrand's senate seat.
New York's junior senator joined Public Advocate Bill de Blasio Friday morning to protest the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to lift restrictions on corporate campaign spending and promote Sen. Al Franken's "American Elections Act of 2010," which would ban foreign companies from contributing to U.S. campaigns.
De Blasio endorsed Gillibrand at the joint press conference, during which both pols spoke harshly about the court's Jan. 21 decision.
“I have always strongly believed that elections should be decided by the people, not by the special interests of Corporate America,” Senator Gillibrand said in a statement. “This decision is a major setback that tilts the playing field away from everyday voters in favor of the big corporations.”
The SCOTUS decision allows corporations to spend unlimited sums supporting or opposing political candidates, and has angered pols ranging from New York’s junior senator to President Barack Obama, who said in a statement, “the Supreme Court has given a green light to a new stampede of special interest money in our politics.”
