When Governor Cuomo and legislative leaders created a commission to craft a plan for publicly-financed elections, they promised that the group would be independent.

But they also expanded its scope beyond just public funding to include whether to eliminate fusion voting, which allows candidates to run on more than one ballot line.

Cuomo says he has no position on fusion voting, but acknowledged that Jay Jacobs, his appointee to the commission and his handpicked Democratic State Chairman, strongly opposes it. He made the same point in a radio interview Thursday.

"On this commission there are people who have very strong feelings one way or another. Republicans are against public financing, I don't know where they are on the other issues. But these are all people who come - one of the appointees is from the Brennan Center, they are very strongly in favor of public financing," said Cuomo.

The Working Families party, facing possible extinction if fusion voting is eliminated, says by picking Jacobs, Cuomo put his thumb on the scale.

"The Governor has finally showed hos true colors and he has admitted what we've known all along which is that he wants to use an unelected commission to take away voters constitutional rights of fusion voting and that he is going to use Jay Jacobs to do it," said Monika Klein.

In a case of strange bedfellows, Senate Republicans agree with the liberal Working Families Party.

In a statement, Republican Minority Leader John Flanagan said, "Jay Jacobs can no longer be a fair and independent arbiter of the commission's work, and his continued presence threatens to undermine its final product."

Some believe Cuomo is trying to punish the WFP for endorsing Cynthia Nixon, his Primary opponent in last year's election.

Republicans worry that eliminating fusion voting would kill the state's Conservative Party.

"People think there is still a Santa Claus, and people believe in the Easter Bunny and people believe in Donald Trump. What do you want me to tell you?” said Cuomo.

Reached by phone Jacobs says he has a long record opposing fusion voting, but he is keeping an open mind for this commission, and it won't prejudice him one way or another. He added that some people from other parts of the state might have a different view of fusion than people from the city.