Howard Golden v. Merrell E. Clark, Jr., as Chair of the Conflicts of Interest Board of the City of New York

Summary

The New York Court of Appeals reversed the Supreme Court’s summary‑judgment decision and held that the New York City Charter provision prohibiting high‑ranking city officials from holding certain political party offices is constitutional. The provision survives an equal‑protection challenge under a rational‑basis review, does not substantially burden First Amendment associational or speech rights, and the delegation of rule‑making authority to the Conflicts of Interest Board is permissible.