Mayor Andrew Cuomo has lost $600,000 in public funds after an investigation revealed illegal coordination between his campaign and a super PAC.
Despite this setback, the 67-year-old former governor secured $1.5 million in public matching funds from the city’s Campaign Finance Committee, which indicated it would continue to scrutinize the ties between his campaign and the super PAC known as “city amendment.”
CFB board member Richard Davis stated, “The board’s investigation into this issue is ongoing and we will continue to assess any inappropriate adjustment issues.”
A political action committee called Fix The City had run two promotional ads in support of Cuomo, raising concerns with the board and other mayoral candidates. As a PAC, they are legally barred from directly donating to candidate campaigns.
Cuomo, who has remained well ahead of his Democratic opponents in polling, has denied any wrongdoing involving the Super PAC.
Cuomo’s spokesperson, Rich Azzopardi, emphasized the campaign’s strong fundraising record. “The momentum in our campaign continues unabated. Today, we’ve raised $1.5 million in less than three months, with broad support across all demographics,” Azzopardi said.
The CFB oversees citywide elections and accepts donations from local private donors at an 8-1 ratio, while Democratic candidate Zellnor Myrie has lodged official complaints claiming the Procuomo PAC is breaching campaign laws.
Myrie’s May 5th complaint alleged that Cuomo engaged in “Redboxing,” a tactic where campaigns highlight specific information to guide PAC ads. He asserted Cuomo’s website relayed information to focus on in the ads.
“We believe it’s important for voters to learn more about Andrew Cuomo, as explained below,” Myrie stated.
Myrie noted that the ads mirrored information posted on Cuomo’s official campaign site, although that content is no longer visible.
Following the initial findings, the CFB determined there were grounds to suspect that certain ads were not independent of Cuomo’s campaign, prompting the decision to withhold $622,056 spent on them.
This isn’t the first time Cuomo’s team has faced financial losses with the CFB, having previously lost nearly $3 million due to various documentation issues.
A Cuomo spokesperson later reiterated that the campaign operates in full compliance with legal requirements, asserting that all promotional materials had been vetted by legal advisors.
“We look forward to responding to the Board’s preliminary ruling and clarifying our entitlement to the matching funds,” Azzopardi said.
Myrie has been vocal in critiquing Cuomo, suggesting he doesn’t adhere to campaign rules and is more focused on self-interest.
The Democratic primary election for mayor is scheduled for June 24th.
