Mayor Adams Denied Public Matching Funds for Re-Election
Mayor Eric Adams once again faced a setback regarding public matching funds for his re-election campaign.
During the board meeting on Thursday, CFB Chairman Frederick Schaffer announced that Adams’ independent candidacy would not qualify for public funding under the city’s 8-1 matching program, primarily due to previously mentioned issues.
“The board has decided that Mayor Adams’ campaign has not shown eligibility for public fund payments at this time, based on two factors: inability to provide requested information and potential legal violations,” Schaffer explained.
As a result, Adams has effectively lost nearly $475,000 in campaign funding, while his opponents have capitalized significantly.
Recent polling indicates that leading Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani raised $1.92 million through the matching program.
Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa secured $1.4 million, and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent, collected $490,000 after his primary loss to Mamdani in June.
Additionally, independent candidate Attorney Jim Walden received $35,000 in funds.
Following these new allocations, Mamdani’s total campaign funds exceed $6.3 million, compared to around $3.4 million for Sliwa and about $1.6 million for Cuomo. Without matching funds, Adams has approximately $3.9 million on hand.
Earlier this month, Adams filed a lawsuit against the CFB, claiming the board improperly withheld over $5 million from his campaign.
“We’re awaiting a ruling from the judge on this matter. Like all the candidates, we believe the mayor deserves fair and equal treatment,” one of his representatives commented.
“Mayor Adams adhered to all necessary procedures and submitted everything legally,” they added.
According to his latest financial disclosures, Mamdani raised more than $1 million from private donors. Interestingly, most of his contributions came from outside New York City.
The Socialist Queen Congress has nearly doubled Cuomo’s fundraising efforts.
Sliwa has also demonstrated strong support, attracting donations from over 4,400 New Yorkers.
