The city Campaign Finance Board on Thursday once again denied Mayor Adams over $3 million in public matching funds for his reelection effort — reiterating concerns the board laid out earlier this month.
“Regarding Mayor Adams, the board determined Mayor Adams’ campaign has failed to demonstrate eligibility for public funds payment at this time on two grounds,” CFB chair Frederick Schaffer said at a meeting at the Board’s downtown headquarters.
“One, failure to provide requested information, and two, reason to believe the campaign violated the law — the same two grounds that were the basis for the finding of ineligibility on August 6, the board’s last payment date,” Schaffer continued. “The board’s investigation of the Adams campaign is ongoing.”
Adams has not received campaign matching funds since late 2024, when the CFB cited his ongoing federal corruption indictment and outstanding requests for information as justification for witholding the funds.
The Trump regime dropped all federal charges against Adams this spring, but the CFB has been conducting its own investigation into straw donations it suspects Adams illegally solicited for his 2021 and 2025 mayoral runs in order to improperly collect matching funds from the city.
Adams filed suit against the CFB earlier this month. In the suit, Adams alleges the CFB “has shown a deplorable and anti-democratic bias against the Adams campaign” in denying matching funds since late last year.
Todd Shapiro, a spokesman for the Adams campaign, said in a statement Thursday that the mayor “has followed all proper procedures, put everything in order under the legal process, and filed accordingly.”
“We are still awaiting a decision from the judge regarding our legal action,” Shapiro said. “We strongly believe that the Mayor’s rights must be treated fairly and equally, just as with every candidate in this race.”
The public funds, which match donations from city residents up to $250 at an 8-to-1 rate, are critical to the incumbent mayor, who is facing high disapproval ratings and lagging poll numbers as he mounts his a reelection bid as an independent candidate.
Frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for Mayor, was given $1.9 million in matching funds by the CFB Thursday. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa got $1.4 million.
Former governor Andrew Cuomo — who, like Adams, is running on an independent ticket — netted his first public funds disbursement, receiving just over $482,000 in matching funds after crossing the donation threshold for the general election cycle.
Jim Walden — another independent vying for Gracie Mansion — got just $34,515 in public funds.
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