Mayor Eric Adams raised solely about $146,000 in marketing campaign money up to now three months — his smallest haul thus far — nevertheless it was sufficient to nonetheless probably qualify him for $4 million in matching taxpayer funds.
By comparability, Adams — who’s battling corruption costs and a mass exodus from Metropolis Corridor — raked in additional than $1 million in personal marketing campaign donations within the earlier quarter.
Whereas Hizzoner’s most up-to-date take was comparatively paltry, his marketing campaign says it has now raised sufficient whole cash in order that $500,000 of its pot qualifies for 8-to-1 public matching funds.
The matching funds would add one other roughly $4 million to his coffers, doubling his present estimated $4 million to a complete of simply over a whopping $8 million, or close to the restrict that any candidate is allowed to spend on any metropolis race.
“The marketing campaign has now raised the utmost quantity it may possibly spend within the major with anticipated matching funds for his reelection far forward of schedule,” Adams’ marketing campaign supervisor, Vito Pitta, informed The Publish on Tuesday.
Pitta claimed that Adams had truly raised $190,000 for the final quarter, or about $40,000 greater than data filed with the New York Metropolis Marketing campaign Finance Board present. He didn’t clarify the discrepancy between the 2 figures.
Adams’ newest haul additionally marks the primary time a rival has outpaced him throughout a submitting interval: Metropolis comptroller Brad Lander raked in $315,880 for a similar quarter, greater than any of the candidates.
Metropolis Corridor has been swimming in scandal over a slew of federal investigations, high-profile resignations — and a jaw-dropping 57-page indictment accusing the mayor of corruption whereas in search of “straw donations” for his 2021 marketing campaign to do an end-run round finance legal guidelines.
Adams is the primary mayor in metropolis historical past to be indicted — and the case may in the end value him the general public matching funds.
Federal prosecutors contend Adams inspired and netted unlawful cash from individuals who skirted the system by disguising who was actually handing over the cash to get round limits on donations.
The accusations prompted CFB Chair Frederick Schaffer to launch a assessment of Adams’ funds.
“Whereas the mayor is presumed harmless till confirmed responsible and deserves due course of, the Board will nonetheless assessment all related data, together with however not restricted to the indictment, so as to uphold our metropolis’s marketing campaign finance guidelines and shield taxpayer {dollars},” Schaffer mentioned after Hizzoner’s indictment.
The CFB informed The Publish on Tuesday that it’ll determine in December whether or not to disclaim Adams the matched funds.
Pitta declined to touch upon whether or not Adams’ authorized woes would have an effect on matching funds.
As a substitute, he mentioned, “Mayor Adams’ sturdy assist from New Yorkers continues.”
If the board denies Adams, he would nonetheless have $3.1 million money readily available, which eclipses his rivals in the meanwhile and would presumably preserve him regular financially in his re-election major bid in June.
Lander and different mayoral candidates equivalent to Scott Stringer and state Sen. Zellnor Myrie every have beneath $300,000 money readily available however are anticipated to in the end qualify for matching funds.
Adams’ rivals’ declarations have been made public on the CFB web site Friday.
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