Authorizing the creation of legal defense trusts.

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to authorizing the creation of legal defense trusts

The proposed law would allow public officials to create stand-alone trusts to take donations to pay for their legal expenses in certain criminal and civil matters and for the legal defense of anyone involved in a matter for which the trust was created. The proposed law would set a donation limit of $5,000 per donor and would place restrictions on who could donate to a legal defense trust. Lobbyists, people doing business with the city, corporations and LLCs would not be allowed to donate, and all donations would have to be reported to the conflicts of interest board and posted online.