Bill Would Axe City's Campaign Finance Law

Pittsburgh Councilman Ricky Burgess says he wants to repeal the city's Campaign Finance Law because it is "meaningless."

Burgess says he has always obeyed the 2009 law to limit campaign donations, but other candidates disobey it without repercussions.

He says the Campaign Finance law is unenforceable, because it was never adopted by the county. Burgess says he therefore introduced legislation to repeal the law because it is "inconsequential and meaningless."

"The limits are supposed to be $1,000 per individual contribution and $2,000 per PAC organization, and we have candidates that are taking far in excess of those dollars in this primary season, in direct violation of the law," says Burgess.

Burgess says he is withholding his own County Finance Report as a protest of the situation.

However, Councilman Bill Peduto issued a statement denouncing Burgess' bill, saying Burgess is "caving to special interests and working to hide who is funding his campaign." Peduto writes that he's also disappointed several Council Members voted to waive the public comment period for this legislation.