NEW YORK — New York City mayoral candidate Adrienne Adams on Friday qualified for $2.4 million in public matching funds Friday, while front-runner Andrew Cuomo was hit with a $675,000 penalty for improperly coordinating with a super PAC.
The news out of the New York City Campaign Finance Board meeting was critical for Adams, whose late entrance into the race has been hampered by her low name recognition and insufficient funds.
As of last week, Adams had raised $521,000 and transferred $219,000 from a previous campaign account.
The board fined Cuomo $622,056 two weeks ago over a commercial the PAC aired on Cuomo’s behalf, which the board suspected was created via improper coordination with the campaign.
Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi disputed the board’s findings and maintained the campaign has had no improper contact with Fix the City.
NEW YORK — Andrew Cuomo, the front-runner for mayor of New York City, was fined $675,000 for improperly coordinating with a super PAC, while Adrienne Adams qualified for $2.04 million in public matching funds on Friday.
Adams, whose late entry into the race has been hindered by her low name recognition and insufficient funds, needed to hear the news from the New York City Campaign Finance Board meeting. Prior to the Democratic primary on June 24, she is the only prominent contender in the race who has not yet released television advertisements.
Adams transferred $219,000 from a prior campaign account and raised $521,000 as of last week. After spending $445,528, she had only $293,994 left, which was insufficient to run advertisements. With the cash infusion on Friday, she has the money she needs to do so.
Meanwhile, the board accused the former governor of improperly coordinating his campaign with a super PAC that supported him, and fined him for the second time this campaign cycle.
The board imposed a $622,056 fine on Cuomo two weeks ago for a commercial that the PAC ran on his behalf. The board suspected that the commercial was produced through improper coordination with the movement.
Board member Richard Davis pointed out Friday that even after the initial penalty, the PAC Fix the City spent an additional $675,000 to keep running the ad in question. This was another humiliating setback for a candidate running on his management credentials, as the board withheld that sum of public funds from the Cuomo team and also counted it against his spending cap.
He declared that “the board will continue to investigate the issue.”.
Due to the CFB’s ruling, Cuomo’s campaign has now been fined approximately $1.03 million for improper coordination, a substantial amount that will make it difficult for him to manage a fully operational campaign.
The board’s conclusions were challenged by Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi, who insisted the campaign had no improper contact with Fix the City.
“We’re eager to clarify that and get the full matching funds that the campaign is eligible for,” he said in a statement.
