§3-710: Examinations and audits; repayments

(a) Any draft audit, the subject of which is a participating, limited participating or non-participating candidate, or the principal and/or authorized committees of any participating, limited participating or non-participating candidate shall be completed within (i) eight months after the submission of the final disclosure report for the covered election for city council races and borough-wide races, and (ii) ten months after the submission of the final disclosure report for the covered election for citywide races, unless the subject of such audit consents in writing to a longer period of time;

(b) The campaign finance board shall provide each candidate a final audit, which shall contain the final resolution of all issues raised in the draft audit; such final audit shall be provided to the candidate, where such candidate or such candidate’s campaign manager or treasurer has completed audit training provided by the board, within (i) fourteen months after the submission of the final disclosure report for the covered election, for city council races and borough-wide races, and (ii) sixteen months after the submission of the final disclosure report for the covered election for citywide races, unless the subject of such audit consents in writing to a longer period of time. Where such candidate or such candidate’s campaign manager or treasurer has not completed audit training provided by the campaign finance board, such final audit shall be provided to such candidate within (i) sixteen months after the submission of the final disclosure report for the covered election, for city council races and borough-wide races, and (ii) eighteen months after the submission of the final disclosure report for the covered election for citywide races, unless the subject of such audit consents in writing to a longer period of time. Provided, however, that where the issuance of such final audit is preceded by a notice of violations and recommended penalties and/or a notice of repayment of public funds, such notice or notices shall include all potential penalties and/or repayment obligations and a notice of a candidate’s right to a hearing pursuant to section 3-710.5 or section 3-710(4) of this chapter and shall be provided to the candidate according to the deadlines applicable to final audits as set forth in this paragraph.

(c) Any advice provided by board staff to participating, limited participating, or non-participating candidate with regard to an action shall be presumptive evidence that such action, if taken in reliance on such advice, should not be subject to a penalty or repayment obligation where such candidate or such candidate’s committee has confirmed such advice in a writing to such board staff by registered or certified mail to the correct address, or by electronic or facsimile transmission with evidence of receipt, describing the action to be taken pursuant to the advice given and the board or its staff has not responded to such written confirmation within seven business days disavowing or altering such advice, provided that the board’s response shall be by registered or certified mail to the correct address, or by electronic or facsimile transmission with evidence of receipt.

(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs a and b of this subdivision, if a committee has failed to respond to a request for information made by board auditors during the post-election audit process, the time period for completing the draft and final audits shall be tolled and extended by the number of days by which the committee has exceeded the original deadline for a response, provided that the committee has received timely written notice of: (i) the original deadline to provide the information, which shall not have been less than thirty days from the date such information was requested; and (ii) the commencement of the tolling period pursuant to this section. If a committee has responded to a request for information made by board auditors but such response is inadequate, the time period for completing the draft and final audits shall be tolled and extended by the number of days until an adequate response is provided, provided that the committee has received timely written notice of: (i) the original deadline to provide the information, which shall not have been less than thirty days from the date such information was requested; (ii) the commencement of the tolling period pursuant to this section; and (iii) the detailed reasons why the original response was inadequate.

(e) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the deadlines provided in paragraphs a and b of this subdivision for the completion of draft and final audits shall not apply in cases where the audit raises issues involving potential campaign-related fraud, potential other criminal activity, or activity that may constitute a breach of certification pursuant to rules of the board or potential significant violations of the limits set forth in section 3-706.

(f) Notwithstanding any provision of the law to the contrary, the deadlines provided in paragraphs a and b of this subdivision for the completion of draft and final audits shall not apply in the event that board operations are interrupted due to a catastrophic emergency such as a natural disaster or criminal event, provided that once board operations resume, the board shall within two weeks announce new deadlines for the completion of draft and final audits consistent with paragraphs a and b.

participating candidate from the fund was in excess of the aggregate amount of payments which such candidate was eligible to receive pursuant to this chapter, it shall notify such committee and such committee shall pay to the board an amount equal to the amount of excess payments.

(b) If the board determines that any portion of the payment made to a principal committee of a participating candidate from the fund was used for purposes other than qualified campaign expenditures, it shall notify such candidate and committee of the amount so disqualified and such candidate and committee shall pay to the board an amount equal to such disqualified amount; provided, however, that in considering whether or not a participating candidate shall be required to pay to the board such amount or an amount less than the entire disqualified amount, the board shall act in accordance with the following: (i) where credible documentation supporting each qualified campaign expenditure exists but is incomplete, the board shall not impose such liability for such expenditure; and (ii) where there is an absence of credible documentation for each qualified campaign expenditure, the board may impose liability upon a showing that such absence of credible documentation for such expenditure arose from a lack of adequate controls including, but not limited to trained staff, internal procedures to follow published board guidelines and procedures to follow standard financial controls.

(c) If the total of contributions, other receipts, and payments from the fund received by a participating candidate and his or her principal committee exceed the total campaign expenditures of such candidate and committee for all covered elections held in the same calendar year or for a special election to fill a vacancy such candidate and committee shall use such excess funds to reimburse the fund for payments received by such committee from the fund during such calendar year or for such special election. No such excess funds shall be used for any other purpose, unless the total amount of the payments received from the fund by the principal committee has been repaid.

(b) If a participating candidate whose principal committee has received public funds fails to actively campaign for election to a covered office, such candidate and his or her principal committee shall pay to the board an amount equal to the total of public funds received by such principal committee. For the purposes of this subdivision, the term “actively campaign for a covered office” shall mean activities that include, but are not limited to, filing designating or nominating petitions for inclusion on the ballot, raising and spending funds for nomination for election or election to a covered office, seeking endorsements, and broadly soliciting votes. 

(c) If a participating candidate whose principal committee has received public funds prior to the last day for filing designating or nominating petitions for inclusion on the ballot ceases to actively campaign for a covered office, including but not limited to making public statements indicating that such participating candidate is no longer seeking nomination for election or election to a covered office, then the board shall inform such participating candidate of the board’s determination that such candidate has ceased actively campaigning for a covered office. Expenditures incurred prior to the date by which such candidate has ceased actively campaigning for a covered office may be considered qualified expenditures, but no expenditures incurred after the date of such a determination of the board shall be considered qualified expenditures.

4. No claim for the repayment of public funds shall be made against any candidate or committee without written notice to such candidate or committee, issued in a timely manner pursuant to all of the requirements of subdivision one of this section, and an opportunity to appear before the board. Any such repayment claim shall be based on a final determination issued by the board following an adjudication before the board consistent with the procedures set forth in section 1046 of the charter unless such procedures are waived by the candidate or principal committee. Such final determination shall be included in and made part of the final audit which shall be issued within thirty days of such determination.