Independent Counsel to Review New Law

An independent attorney will be hired to review whether the city’s campaign reform law is constitutional.

A City Council majority voted last week in favor of the action. Mayor Tom Daly abstained and Councilwoman Shirley McCracken voted against the move.

The independent attorney also will examine if the city could be liable to individuals prosecuted, should the law be found unconstitutional.

The council today will consider how to go about hiring the outside counsel.

The city’s campaign law came to the forefront last month after the city attorney’s office filed misdemeanor charges against the Lake Forest-based Business and Taxpayers Good Government Committee for allegedly violating the ordinance, which limits contributions.

Councilman Bob Zemel, who asked the council to consider hiring an outside attorney, said he believes “there is far too much ambiguity in our campaign reform law.”