Former New York governor Andrew Cuomo’s mayoral bid has hit yet another roadblock as city officials withheld $600,000 in public funding amid allegations of illegal coordination with a super PAC.
At a Glance
- Cuomo lost $600,000 in public campaign funds following an investigation into improper coordination with the “Fix the City” super PAC
- The Campaign Finance Board (CFB) continues investigating ties between Cuomo’s campaign and the PAC, which ran two supportive ads
- This follows a previous paperwork error that already cost Cuomo’s campaign nearly $3 million in public funds
- Democratic rival Zellnor Myrie filed a complaint accusing Cuomo of “redboxing” – a tactic to guide PAC advertising strategies
- The Democratic primary is scheduled for June 24, with Cuomo’s campaign vowing to contest the ruling
Campaign Finance Board Takes Action Against Cuomo
The New York City Campaign Finance Board has denied former governor Andrew Cuomo $600,000 in public matching funds following allegations that his mayoral campaign illegally coordinated with a super PAC. This decision comes as a significant blow to Cuomo’s campaign, especially considering he had already received $1.5 million in public matching funds from the board. The investigation centered on potential improper coordination between Cuomo’s campaign and “Fix the City,” a super PAC that has been actively supporting his candidacy with advertising.
The CFB’s decision wasn’t made lightly. After reviewing evidence, officials found compelling reasons to believe the super PAC’s advertisements were not truly independent of Cuomo’s campaign operation. This finding triggered the withholding of funds, as campaigns are strictly prohibited from coordinating with super PACs, which by law must operate independently. The investigation remains ongoing, with the board continuing to scrutinize the relationship between Cuomo’s campaign and Fix the City.
Redboxing Allegations and Campaign Tactics
The specific allegation against Cuomo’s campaign involves a practice known as “redboxing” – a controversial tactic where campaigns allegedly signal to super PACs what information to focus on in their advertisements. Fellow Democratic candidate Zellnor Myrie filed the complaint that triggered the investigation, claiming Cuomo’s team was using subtle cues on their campaign website to guide the PAC’s messaging strategy. Despite being a common practice in modern campaigning, redboxing operates in a legal gray area that election officials increasingly scrutinize.
The two advertisements run by Fix the City in support of Cuomo became the central evidence in the investigation. Campaign finance regulations create a strict firewall between campaigns and PACs, prohibiting any coordination of messaging, strategy, or timing of advertisements. When these walls appear to have been breached, as the CFB suspects in Cuomo’s case, penalties can be swift and significant – as demonstrated by the $600,000 withholding of public funding that could have bolstered his campaign efforts.
A Pattern of Campaign Finance Issues
This isn’t the first financial setback for Cuomo’s mayoral campaign. Before this incident, his team had already lost nearly $3 million in public matching funds due to paperwork issues. The repeated financial penalties raise questions about the campaign’s organizational competence and attention to regulatory compliance. With the Democratic primary scheduled for June 24, these financial handicaps come at a particularly inopportune time for a campaign that needs resources to remain competitive.
Despite the mounting evidence and financial penalties, Cuomo’s camp remains defiant. His campaign spokesperson insists they have followed all legal guidelines and intends to contest the CFB’s ruling. “The campaign has complied with all laws and regulations,” the spokesperson stated, characterizing the decision as unfounded. Whether this defense will persuade either the CFB or voters remains to be seen, but the timing couldn’t be worse for a campaign already struggling with maintaining its early momentum.
