Gov. Kathy Hochul's office has launched a state-funded advertising campaign promoting her agenda, drawing scrutiny from ethics watchdogs and Republican lawmakers who say the effort skirts a long-standing ban on using taxpayer money to promote elected officials.

The ads, which have appeared over the past week on Facebook, YouTube and at least one billboard, do not feature Hochul directly. Instead, they direct viewers to a state-run website where the governor is prominently featured discussing her plans to cut red tape and build affordable housing.

What the Left Is Saying

Defenders of the campaign say it complies with existing ethics laws. Hochul spokesperson Jen Goodman said the advertising was part of routine state engagement on critical policy priorities. 'The state routinely engages in awareness and education campaigns on critical policy priorities and this campaign was designed in compliance with all ethics laws,' Goodman said.

Rachael Fauss of Reinvent Albany, a government watchdog group, acknowledged the legal gray area but noted the 20-year-old law was not written with modern digital advertising in mind. 'From a technical perspective, she may not be violating the law,' Fauss said. 'But I think the spirit of the law is to not have the governor's likeness be promoted through the use of taxpayer funds. That was the intent of it. Unfortunately, this is an area where the law hasn't kept up with the way people consume media and ads these days.'

What the Right Is Saying

Republican Assemblymember Matt Slater called the campaign an abuse of taxpayer dollars. 'They're skirting the very intent of what that law was meant to do, and that's using taxpayer dollars to promote the image or likeness of the governor,' Slater said. 'It's clearly something that needs to be looked into so we can figure out what consequences she should be facing if she is in fact violating the law.'

Slater also noted Hochul has substantial campaign funds available for political advertising. 'She's got plenty of campaign funds that she could be using to pay for these things,' he said. 'What she's doing right now is spending taxpayer money to enhance her image when she's on the ballot this year.'

What the Numbers Show

One YouTube commercial titled 'Let Them Build' cost between $10,000 and $15,000 to air. It was one of 21 ads run on YouTube or Google over the past week. The Executive Chamber has not disclosed the total cost of the campaign, though a FOIL request would be required to obtain those records. The 'Let Them Build' ad has been viewed one million times.

The ban on state-funded advertising for elected officials dates to the Pataki administration, when former Gov. George Pataki ran commercials during an election year encouraging people to register for a new healthcare program. Ethics reforms passed as part of former Gov. Eliot Spitzer's inaugural agenda included language specifically prohibiting the practice.

The Bottom Line

The Hochul administration has found a way to promote the governor's agenda through state-funded advertising without technically featuring her in the ads themselves. Legal experts and ethics watchdogs say this exploits a gap between the letter and spirit of a law designed to prevent sitting governors from using taxpayer money for political image-building. With Hochul up for reelection this year, Republicans are calling for the practice to be examined and potentially punished if violations are found. The administration has defended the campaign as routine government communication in compliance with all ethics laws.