Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Picture by Dean Moses
The New York Metropolis Marketing campaign Finance Board (CFB) on Tuesday declined to reward 2025 NYC mayor’s race front-runner Andrew Cuomo tens of millions of {dollars} he anticipated to obtain in public matching funds.
The CFB withheld the funds resulting from a “technical software error,” in keeping with Cuomo spokesperson Wealthy Azzopardi. Cuomo’s marketing campaign had anticipated the board rewarding it roughly $2.7 billion in public funds after elevating round $1.5 billion between the start and center of March.
“Last Friday, the campaign was informed by the campaign finance board that, due to a technical software error, contributions collected on one of our vendor platforms, NGP, were missing one of the fields required by the Campaign Finance Board,” Azzopardi mentioned in a press release, “and so while we met the thresholds necessary to receive matching funds, the campaign had to remedy this technical matter.”
In response to the CFB, it denied Cuomo the funds as a result of a minimum of 20% of the paperwork his marketing campaign filed had technical errors — and that his marketing campaign didn’t meet the brink of eligible donations. These will be overlapping points as technical errors can have an effect on what number of donations are eligible, in keeping with the board.
Nonetheless, Azzopardi claimed the marketing campaign fastened the technical error and expects to obtain matching funds subsequent month.
“We have since fully addressed the software issue and have complied with all requirements and will be submitting the proper documentation to the Board within the one-week grace period the board allows to remedy technical issues to receive our eligible matching funds on May 12,” Azzopardi mentioned.
Azzopardi added that the marketing campaign has raised a further $1 million in non-public donations because the March 13 CFB submitting deadline.
Cuomo — a former governor who resigned in 2021 after being accused of sexual harassment by 11 girls, allegations he denies — has led the sector within the polls and institutional assist since leaping in on March 1. However the denial of matching funds, even in the intervening time, marks the marketing campaign’s first main setback.
Nonetheless, Cuomo’s bid can be bolstered by a brilliant PAC generally known as “Fix the City” that has already raised over $4.8 million with the assist of many outstanding GOP donors, in keeping with revealed reviews.
Mayor Eric Adams, who opted out of the Democratic main to run as an impartial, was additionally denied matching funds as soon as once more.
The board has continued to refuse Adams public funds following a December resolution primarily based on his now-dismissed federal indictment, which alleged that his 2021 marketing campaign defrauded the matching funds program.
Below town’s beneficiant public marketing campaign finance program, candidates can get an 8-to-1 match on donations as much as $250 from metropolis residents. Mayoral candidates should elevate a minimum of $250,000 from a minimal of 1,000 in-city donors to be able to qualify.
In the meantime, the board rewarded lots of Cuomo’s rivals with sizable tranches of public cash.
Queens Meeting Member Zohran Mamdani led the pack, with a reward of $3.8 million, near what his marketing campaign mentioned it anticipated to obtain final month. Mamdani may be very near hitting the $8.3 million spending cap, in keeping with his marketing campaign spokesperson, and expects to make up the distinction in non-public funds.
Metropolis Comptroller Brad Lander acquired $861,800, lower than the $1.3 million that his marketing campaign anticipated. Former metropolis Comptroller Scott Stringer and state Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-Brooklyn) unlocked $696,942 and $527,147, respectively.
On the similar time, Metropolis Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, State Sen. Jessica Ramos (D-Queens), former Bronx Meeting Member Michael Blake, and hedge fund supervisor Whitney Tilson didn’t meet the matching funds threshold.
