To the editor:

The vote for New York’s next attorney general may be the most important one we can cast this fall.

In a slew of political contests that will impact our state for years to come, the attorney general has a unique impact on our daily lives. The very definition of the job is to be “the guardian of the legal rights of the people of New York” and to protect citizens in almost every context. Defending consumers from dangerous products and predatory financial dealings; safeguarding our health; standing up for wage-earners and business owners alike; fighting for our civil rights; preserving our state lands and resources—all fall within the AG’s purview.

In an era of mounting indictments for corruption in Albany and a runaway federal government, New Yorkers are in need of a staunch advocate who will protect and defend us. Zephyr Teachout is monumentally equipped to do this job. A constitutional law professor and anti-corruption expert (she literally wrote the book on “Corruption in America”), not only does Teachout have the chops to be our top advocate in the form of legal expertise, she literally walks the walk of fighting corruption and serving the public.

Teachout founded the Sunlight foundation more than ten years ago to work for greater transparency in government and to make government records more accessible to people. She served on the board of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (a group that pursues legal action to target government officials who sacrifice the common good to special interests). She has been a key player in two lawsuits against Trump for violating the anti-corruption Emoluments Clause of the Constitution by accepting foreign monies in the course of furthering his business interests while holding the office of president.

Most importantly, what distinguishes Zephyr Teachout from the other candidates is that she doesn’t accept donations that would place her campaign in conflict with the work she will be pledged to carry out as attorney general; namely, to root out and prosecute corruption. How can our top watchdog keep watch over her own campaign donors? The answer is, she can’t. Teachout is the only candidate who has not taken, and has pledged not to take, campaign donations from corporations or LLCs.

Zephyr Teachout is already doing the work that we would expect from our attorney general. She’s already looking out for us. She’s smart and experienced, and she’s not afraid of the Trump machine—she’s pledged to wield the power of the people’s advocate to protect the rights and interests of New Yorkers and won’t allow federal corruption to operate within our state’s borders. Zephyr Teachout is the candidate we need right now, and for that reason, we urge Democrats to vote on Sept. 13 for Zephyr Teachout to be the Democratic nominee for New York attorney general.

Progressive Women of Pelham