New York City’s Campaign Finance Board has warned Mayor Eric Adams he may be found to have breached the rules for receiving public matching funds.
If the Board sticks to its findings, Adams would have to return the $10 million in taxpayer funds he got during his 2021 campaign. Adams now has a chance to petition the Board before it makes a final determination.
In a letter sent Wednesday to Adams’ 2025 campaign, the Board cited allegations of campaign finance fraud outlined in the federal indictment of Adams, including whether Adams knowingly submitted fraudulent claims for matching funds in his first run for mayor.
Danielle Willemin, Director of Auditing and Accounting, wrote that issues raised in the indictment “may cause the Board to consider whether the campaign has submitted a disclosure statement which the participant knew or should have known includes substantial fraudulent matchable contribution claims, which is one of the activities that can lead to a finding of breach of certification.”
The indictment charges that tens of thousands of dollars in illegal donations made to the mayor’s 2021 campaign triggered matching funds, including some from foreign sources tied to the Turkish government funneled through illegal “straw donors.”
A review of Adams’ 2025 disclosures by THE CITY found that CFB auditors had tagged as invalid nearly one third ($139,000) of the $504,000 in contributions that Adams’ campaign claimed were eligible for the $8 to $1 match.
Under the city’s campaign finance laws, a candidate found to be in breach must return all public funds received and may be ineligible for public funds in the future.
The flow of donations to Adams re-election bid slowed considerably after the indictment by Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams was unsealed in September charging him with bribery and campaign finance fraud. As of last month, the mayor’s legal defense fund had run up a deficit as he tried to keep up with mounting legal bills.
With the primary set for June 24, the mayor faces what prosecutors have estimated will be a six-week trial starting April 21. His lawyer, Alex Spero, this week asked to postpone further court appearances until after Jan. 20th, the day Donald Trump returns to the presidency.
Trump has said he’s considering pardoning Adams, opining that the mayor has been “treated badly” by the same Justice Department that indicted him two times.
Adams’ campaign lawyer, Vito Pitta, did not immediately return an inquiry by THE CITY. He has previously said the campaign planned to try and work with the CFB to regain approval for matching funds going forward.
