Andrew Cuomo has been fined over $620,000 for illegally coordinating with the super PAC Fix the City during his mayoral campaign. The New York City Campaign Finance Board found his actions breach campaign finance laws. Specifically, a section of his website revealed strategic campaign details designed for the super PAC. The board expressed concerns that such practices undermine democratic principles by allowing big money to influence elections. Cuomo's campaign plans to contest the fine, asserting compliance with relevant laws.
The city's Campaign Finance Board announced its decision at a hearing where Cuomo, the former New York governor, was also awarded $1.5 million in matching funds. Cuomo had missed out on previous rounds of matching funds due to a series of paperwork snafus.
While red-boxing is legal in federal races, it's not permitted by the Campaign Finance Board. Candidates are prohibited from directly sending messages to political action committees that can spend unlimited amounts of money to support or oppose a candidate's campaign.
Richard Davis, a board member, said at the hearing, reading from a prepared statement: 'CFB rules state that the board may determine an expenditure was not independent if the entity making the expenditure utilized strategic information or data that has been made publicly available by the candidate...'
Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi indicated the campaign would challenge the board's fine. 'Our campaign has operated in full compliance with the campaign finance laws and rules, and everything on our website was reviewed and approved...'
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