CFB Fines Cuomo Campaign and Withholds $622K Over Alleged IE Coordination

For allegedly violating campaign finance laws, the New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB) imposed a preliminary fine of $622,056 on the mayoral campaign of Andrew Cuomo on Monday, May 12th. The penalty followed an investigation that raised concerns about possible coordination between Cuomo’s campaign and Fix the City, an Independent Expenditure (IE) group that supported his candidacy, in violation of city rules.

The controversy centers around a webpage published by Cuomo’s campaign, which included specific instructions and strategic information that appeared to align with advertisements from the IE. The CFB found “reason to believe” that the advertisement, which aired shortly after the campaign’s website was updated, was not independent of Cuomo’s campaign. However, the campaign has indicated it intends to challenge the penalty following the CFB’s preliminary ruling.

This practice, known as “red-boxing,” involves candidates posting campaign-related information in a format accessible to IE groups, potentially enabling coordinated efforts—an approach strictly prohibited under New York City’s campaign finance laws.

Cuomo’s spokesperson, Rich Azzopardi, defended the campaign’s actions, stating they fully complied with campaign finance regulations. He emphasized that all content on the campaign website had been reviewed and approved by the legal team. Azzopardi also pointed out that other candidates had posted similar materials without facing penalties or having campaign funds withheld.

Despite the penalty, Cuomo’s campaign qualified for $1.5 million in public matching funds. However, the board withheld the $622,056 linked to the contested IE advertisement. The campaign maintains that the information posted online was not intended for coordination with the IE and that the legal team ensured compliance with all regulations.