The Working Families Party announced this afternoon that they have settled a civil lawsuit waged by attorney Randy Mastro on behalf of a handful of City Council candidates who believe that the WFP’s field operation put them at an unfair disadvantage.
Under the terms of the agreement, Data and Field Services, the for-profit arm of the WFP, will be re-absorbed into the party proper and will cease to function as an independent for-profit entity.
In a statement, the WFP remained defiant over the question of wrong-doing.
“We’re pleased to put this nuisance lawsuit behind us,” said party spokesman TJ Helmstetter. “The good news for the WFP, our allies and the causes we believe in is that the Working Families Party will continue doing the same, effective and progressive grassroots organizing work it has always done — within a simpler structure. The bad news, for us, is that a big corporate law firm just added $100,000 to their already deep pockets. We hope to make sure that more of that new-found wealth is shared through the genius of progressive taxation.”
Mr. Mastro, the lawyer at that big corporate law firm–Gibson Dunn–heralded the the settlement.
“DFS is being forced out of business,” he told The Politicker. “This is the demise of DFS and a great day for local democracy. The WFP will no longer be able to so blatantly undermine our campaign finance laws.”
The full settlement agreement is below:
