ASTORIA – Nomiki Konst announced on January 16 that in just a few months her grassroots campaign for New York City Public Advocate raised over $80,000 from more than 1500 contributions – all without the support of political parties, corporations, lobbyists, institutions, bundlers or using campaign finance loopholes.

“Just one day after we submitted over 10,000 petition signatures to get on the ballot, we are proud to report that our movement campaign earned over 1,500 donations,” Konst stated. “Working New Yorkers are joining us because they are fed up with the political status quo that is paid for by real estate developers, corporate lobbyists, and the 1% and are looking for someone who has the freedom and courage to take them on.”

“While New York City’s matching funds program is an improvement over many other cities, it is a disgrace to NYC taxpayers that well connected politicians are able to rely on large checks from a handful of wealthy donors in order to receive matching funds from taxpayers.” Konst continued, “I’m in this race to take on the tax-dodging real estate developers and the 1%, not to cash their checks. While other campaigns are relying on these corporate donors and institutional membership to be competitive, we’re relying on volunteer efforts of working people, an army of more than 100 grassroots supporters who, just this past week, collected over 10,000 signatures to put our campaign on the ballot.”

Konst has elected to join the new campaign finance program that voters approved last year, which she believes is an important commitment to public financing of elections and truly leveling the playing field and limiting the power of corporate and special interests.

About Nomiki:

Nomiki Konst is an award-winning investigative reporter who has exposed political and financial corruption from the DNC and New York State government (including of the Independent Democratic Conference), to the disaster capitalism in Puerto Rico their ties to Wall Street. On the DNC Reform Commission, she led the fight for accountability, financial transparency, to eliminate the power of superdelegates, and to reform the primary and caucus structure. She is running for Public Advocate to reinforce the duty of an independent, investigative power that not just calls out the City government, but holds the special interests and political machines accountable. In 2016, she was a National Media Surrogate for Bernie Sanders, an at-large Sanders delegate, and DNC platform committee member and was appointed by Senator Sanders to the historic 21-member DNC Reform Commission.

An activist with broad international and domestic experience, Nomiki Konst has spent over a decade organizing and advocating for causes such as anti-fracking, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, immigration reform, Occupy, and good government/campaign finance reform. Nomiki is proud to be untethered to any political machine and is committed to shining a light on all the dark places corruption is trying to hide in New York City.

More information about Nomiki Konst is available online: nomikikonst.com.