The city’s Campaign Finance Board denied Mayor Adams public matching funds for his 2025 reelection run Monday, citing an ongoing corruption case and dealing a significant blow to the mayor’s campaign as he works to fend off more than a half dozen challengers in next year’s Democratic primary.
In a brief meeting at the board’s downtown Manhattan offices, CFB Chair Frederick Schaffer said the panel is withholding matching funds from Adams because it “has determined that there is reason to believe that the Adams campaign has engaged in conduct detrimental to the matching funds program in violation of law.”
He cited the mayor’s federal indictment, which alleges he solicited bribes and illegal campaign cash for his 2021 campaign, mostly from Turkish government operatives, in exchange for political favors. Adams has pleased not guilty to those charges.
“His campaign also failed to provide documents and information requested by the board,” Schaffer added.
Vito Pitta, Adams’ campaign compliance attorney, didn’t immediately return a request for comment after the board’s vote.
The only mayoral candidate who got cleared to receive the first round of matching funds Monday was Scott Stringer, the former city comptroller who has raised money for 2025 for nearly a year. He’s in line to get about $2.8 million in matching funds under the board vote.
Incumbent Comptroller Brad Lander also met the threshold to be eligible for Monday’s first matching funds payout. However, in a slipup by the city government’s fiscal watchdog, Lander’s campaign failed to submit the so-called “Certified Statement of Need” in time to get included in the first tranche of payments.
All the other 2025 mayoral candidates had not met the fundraising thresholds required to be eligible for the first round of matching funds.
The next round is set to be disbursed Jan. 15, when several of Adams’ other challengers, including Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani and Brooklyn state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, say they are expected to be eligible.
This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates.
