At a regularly scheduled meeting today, the New York City Campaign Finance Board determined that one campaign in the February 2013 special election for Council District 31 committed violations and that it is required to repay public funds, as detailed in the charts below. Additionally, the Board determined that one independent spender from the 2013 citywide election cycle committed violations.
In her opening remarks, Board Chair Rose Gill Hearn made the following statement:
“Since our last meeting in December, New York’s legislative landscape has undergone a significant change. Longtime state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver resigned the leadership position he had held for two decades in the wake of corruption charges brought by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. These allegations against such a powerful figure in Albany are yet another devastating blow to New Yorkers’ confidence in our elections and elected officials. They reinforce the importance of New York City’s Campaign Finance Act and the work done by the Campaign Finance Board to uphold it.
As expected, this episode has reignited conversations about the need for state-wide ethics reforms. Last month we sent a letter to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie urging him and other lawmakers to adopt a state campaign finance program similar to our own.
There was welcome news last month on the campaign finance front. In a citywide election on February 24, Chicago voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure calling for a public matching funds program. The referendum organizers used New York City as a model and Executive Director Amy Loprest traveled to Chicago last year to promote our program. We urge our lawmakers in Albany to follow Chicago’s lead. It is time to give the people of New York the government that they deserve.”
Violations and Penalties
| Candidate | Violation | Penalty | Total Penalties |
|
Michael R Duncan Council District 31 (February 2013) |
Accepting contributions from corporations | $115 | $909 |
| Failing to demonstrate that spending was in furtherance of the campaign | $423 | ||
| Making impermissible post-election expenditures | $371 |
| Independent Spender | Violation | Penalty | Total Penalties |
| Evgeny Freidman (2013) |
Making expenditures that were coordinated with a campaign | $1,061 | $3,561 |
| Material misrepresentation | $2,500 |
Violations and Penalties
| Candidate | Total Public Funds Received | Public Funds Repayment |
| Michael R Duncan Council District 31 (February 2013) |
$47,430* | $5,347 |
*Does not reflect repayment obligation.
Archived video of today’s meeting will be available here.