Common Cause/NY Urges Campaign Finance Board to Reject All Matching Funds for Cuomo

NEW YORK, NY (05/12/2025) (readMedia)-- Today, the New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB) withheld $620,000 in public matching funds for Andrew Cuomo's 2025 Mayoral Campaign, citing his campaign's illegal coordination with the Fix the City super PAC. In response, Common Cause Executive Director Susan Lerner issued the following statement urging the Board to withhold all matching funds from Cuomo:

"Andrew Cuomo's Super PAC, run by his long-time confidants, is selling influence on the open market to big money donors with business before the City like DoorDash, while the candidate is demanding public money from New York City taxpayers. It's appalling and he can't have it both ways. We applaud the Campaign Finance Board for denying Cuomo a portion of the funds, but by failing to fully enforce the law, the Board is essentially saying that the cost of illegally coordinating with a Super PAC is half a million dollars, but we're still giving you $1.5 million anyway. We are encouraged that the Board is continuing its investigation into the cavalier attitude which the Cuomo campaign has taken to New York's highly regarded campaign finance laws, but corruption needs to come with a real price, not just fines that can be factored into the cost of doing business and do nothing to dissuade illegal behavior. The Board should deny Cuomo – and any others who violate its coordination rules - all funds, as well as take advantage of all available enforcement actions. City residents who finance the system deserve to have their contributions protected."