New York City’s campaign finance program under scrutiny
New York City’s public campaign finance program, meant to level the playing field for candidates, is under scrutiny following the indictment of Mayor Eric Adams. Prosecutors allege that Adams abused the system by accepting illegal donations to secure public matching funds. FOX 5’s Morgan McKay explains how the program works and how it responds to these claims.
NEW YORK – The recent indictment of New York City Mayor Eric Adams has increased scrutiny of the city’s campaign finance system, with prosecutors alleging that Mr. Adams received illegal donations and used this system to receive additional taxpayer funds. He claims he abused the system.
Allegations against Mayor Adams
In 2021, Mayor Adams’ campaign raised $19 million, $10 million of which came from public matching funds. Federal prosecutors allege that Mr. Adams used a straw donation system to further increase his campaign’s matching funds and accepted illegal contributions from foreign donors.
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The public funds are intended to support the candidacy of candidates who may not have wealthy backers by matching New York City residents’ contributions at a rate of $8 for every dollar donated.
Mayor Adams has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Despite the charges, campaign finance program operators insist there are safeguards in place to catch bad actors and point to the incident as proof the system is working.
“Straw donation schemes and other types of fraud are extremely rare anywhere in the United States,” said Paul S. Ryan, executive director of the New York City Campaign Finance Commission. “And when it happens, they usually get caught.”
Ongoing audits and direct communication with donors help detect fraud within the system, Ryan said.
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The program, which has been in place for more than 30 years, aims to make it possible for ordinary New Yorkers, not just wealthy patrons, to run for office. For donations up to $175 for city council elections and $250 for citywide campaigns, the city will match your donation using taxpayer funds.
Expanding public campaign finance programs
New York state currently has a similar campaign finance program in place, and this is the first election cycle to use it. Donations between $5 and $250 are eligible for matching funds.
While both state and city programs include audits and other measures to prevent fraud, McGrath said post-election audits at the state level are less frequent and campaigns are less likely to be subject to scrutiny. admitted to be randomly selected.
“This is our first cycle and we’re looking forward to looking back at it to see what went well and what we can change,” McGrath said.
