NYC Campaign Finance Board Welcomes New Appointee: Lawrence Moskowitz

04/29/2021

Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Working Families Party co-founder Lawrence Moskowitz to join the NYC Campaign Finance Board (CFB), filling the remainder of a five-year term ending on November 30, 2025.

Moskowitz is a long-time labor organizer who held prominent roles within the Working Families Party for over 15 years. Moskowitz has deep experience in political campaigning and direct experience with the campaign finance program. In 1997, he was the labor advisor to the campaign of Guillermo Linares who qualified for more than $38,000 in public matching funds.

"I am very pleased to welcome Mr. Moskowitz to the Campaign Finance Board. I am confident that his campaign experience will be useful and insightful in our work protecting the integrity of New York City elections and the matching funds program." said CFB Chair Frederick Schaffer.

“New York City’s campaign finance program is one of the most progressive political reforms in the country. The matching funds give people who otherwise do not have access to money a real shot at running for office," said Board Member Lawrence Moskowitz. "I am pleased to join the Board during this very important election year.”

Moskowitz marched in his first picket line in 1964, demanding federal intervention to protect and find three civil rights workers killed in Philadelphia, Mississippi. This inspired his passion for labor and social justice movements.

Most recently, Moskowitz served as Social Justice Director of the Workers Circle, an American Jewish nonprofit that promotes social and economic justice, Jewish community, and education. In 2014, he served as Labor Union Coordinator of the People’s Climate March, where he organized the participation of over 80 labor organizations.

Moskowitz was the founding staff member of the Working Families Party and held various roles within the party for over 15 years, most recently as National Labor Director of the Party National Expansion Project. He was involved in numerous statewide campaigns, including the $15 Minimum Wage and the Green Light Bill, which allows all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, the opportunity to earn a driver’s license.

As mandated by the City Charter and the New York City Campaign Finance Act, the CFB is composed of five members serving staggered five-year terms. Two are appointed by the mayor, and two by the Speaker of the New York City Council. The chair is appointed by the mayor after consultation with the speaker. Strictly nonpartisan, the mayor and the speaker’s two appointees may not be affiliated with the same political party.

In welcoming Moskowitz, the CFB is also bidding farewell to Naomi Zauderer, who served as a Board Member since 2016. Zauderer also chaired the CFB's Voter Assistance Advisory Committee since 2018, playing an important role in guiding the CFB's voter engagement efforts.

"We're grateful for Ms. Zauderer's commitment to the NYC Campaign Finance Board and the Voter Assistance Advisory Committee. Her presence on the Board will be missed," said CFB Executive Director Amy Loprest.