Common Cause/NY Applauds Campaign Finance Board For Continuing to Reject Matching Funds for Mayor Adams

NEW YORK, NY (07/09/2025) (readMedia)-- Yesterday, the New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB) again rejected public matching funds to Eric Adams' 2025 Mayoral Campaign, citing his continued refusal to share relevant information about his federal corruption case with the Board. In response, Common Cause Executive Director Susan Lerner issued the following statement praising the Board's decision and urging them to also withhold all funds to Andrew Cuomo:

"Today's decision is a victory for New Yorkers, and we applaud the Board for sending a clear message that no candidate who refuses to abide by the Board's rules or potentially engages in illegal conduct will receive public funds. Now, we urge the Board to apply that same high standard for public funding to all candidates and withhold any additional matching funds to Andrew Cuomo.

New Yorkers should have confidence that their hard earned tax dollars are not being misused by politicians. Unfortunately, two mayoral candidates continue to flaunt New York City's well-regarded campaign finance laws and implementing regulations. Cuomo's 2025 Mayoral campaign has openly violated campaign finance laws and repeatedly been fined by this very Board for doing so. The Board must act accordingly and refuse matching funds to any candidate who violates its rules - no matter who they are - to ensure New Yorkers can trust our campaign finance system is protecting them."

Background

The Board has repeatedly held matching funds from both Adams and Cuomo over their refusal to comply with the Board's rules. In December 2024, the CFB announced it would reject all matching funds for Mayor Eric Adams' 2025 Mayoral Campaign in response to his campaign's continued refusal to cooperate with auditors' request for accurate campaign records for over three years. In May, the CFB announced it was also withholding more than $1.2 million in public matching funds for Andrew Cuomo's 2025 Mayoral Campaign, citing his campaign's repeated illegal coordination with the Fix the City super PAC supporting him.

Common Cause New York launched a billboard in Times Square urging the New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB) to halt all new matching funds for candidates Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo over their repeated violations of the public financing system. Since December, the Board has withheld more than $4 million from the two candidates for their improper conduct.