Mayor Eric Adams denied $4M in public money for re-election campaign
Eric Adams was denied millions of dollars in public funds for his re-election bid — delivering a massive blow to the embattled mayor’s campaign as candidates line up to challenge the indicted pol.
The New York City Campaign Finance Board ruled Monday morning that Hizzoner’s campaign would not be eligible, at least as of now, for more than $4 million in public matching funds — as his war chest is the subject of federal and city probes.
The fund-matching provides candidates $8 for each buck donated by New Yorkers up to the first $250 pocketed.
The already crowded field of Democratic candidates lining up to challenge the sitting mayor has been anxiously awaiting the decision.
The lack of city funds makes re-election a herculean task for Adams, who is already facing a historic criminal case in federal court.
“I should note the first payment date, and it’s not unusual for a number of candidates to be ineligible at this time,” said CFB chair Frederick Schaffer. “Candidates who have been denied payment today have a right to appeal that decision.”
“The board does not usually make a public explanation of its payment decisions, however, because the circumstances are unusual in the public interest rate, we have determined that it is appropriate to be transparent with the public,” Schaffer said.
“The board has determined that there is reason to believe the Adams campaign has engaged in conduct detrimental to the matching funds program in violation of law, including the Campaign Finance Act and board rules,” he added.
Schaffer said in the fall that the agency would open a review of the mayor’s current campaign after the mayor was indicted in September.
“While the mayor is presumed innocent until proven guilty and deserves due process, the board will nonetheless review all relevant information, including but not limited to the indictment, in order to uphold our city’s campaign finance rules and protect taxpayer dollars,” Schaffer said at the time.
The CFB has since flagged funds received this past year as questionable between July and October, with a third possibly being invalid as the mayor’s donations have been under increased scrutiny, according to the news outlet the City.
It also noted several irregularities in his 2021 campaign that the board could use to reject matching funds this time around.
City officials and the Southern District of New York have been probing the mayor’s first campaign for City Hall with allegations of improperly bundling thousands in donations as part of multiple straw donation schemes.
The mayor was indicted on federal corruption charges in connection to those campaign finance cases.
He is slated to stand trial in April, which would give him only a few weeks to make his pitch to voters without the cloud of corruption if he’s cleared.
The campaign, however, still had more than $3 million on hand after its last filing in October, records show.