Syracuse mayor urges campaign finance reform

The mayor of Syracuse, United States, will voluntarily forego campaign contributions from limited liability companies and is urging state lawmakers to close a much-criticized campaign finance loophole.

Mayor Stephanie Miner announced on Friday that in the absence of action by state leaders, she will no longer accept contributions from LLCs, which are allowed by law to make much larger donations than traditional businesses without identifying the actual source of the money.

Miner, a Democrat, says money has a "corrosive effect" on politics and that there is an "urgent" need for reforms.

Good government groups have long criticized the so-called LLC loophole, which has allowed wealthy individuals to pump millions of dollars into campaigns while shielding their identities. Efforts to pass legislation to close the loophole, however, have failed in the legislature.

- AP