During a regularly scheduled meeting today, the Campaign Finance Board assessed penalties against one candidate. Penalties were assessed against the campaign of Fernando Ferrer for Mayor in 2005. For details, see below:
Candidate | Office | Public Funds Received | Violation | Penalty | Total Penalties |
Ferrer, Fernando (2005) | Mayor | $4,361,060 | Accepting an over-the-limit in-kind contribution from Local 1199 of the Service Employees International Union | $10,000 | $12,500 |
Accepting ten over-the limit contributions | $1,225 | ||||
Accepting two corporate contributions | $250 | ||||
Accepting six contributions from unregistered political action committees | $625 +VNP | ||||
Failing to attribute an aggregated contribution in excess of $2,500 | $100 | ||||
Failing to file a required daily pre-election disclosure statement | $300 |
This determination represents the Board’s final enforcement action related to the 2005 election cycle. The Board also announced a post-election payment of public funds to Mr. Ferrer of $463,724. The payment is limited to outstanding liabilities documented as still outstanding, totaling $476,224, less the penalties of $12,500.
The Board responded to a petition for a declaration of extraordinary circumstances filed on July 16, 2009 by Guillermo Linares. The deadline to file a candidate certification form to join the Campaign Finance Program for the 2009 elections was June 10. Under a declaration of extraordinary circumstances, the Board may permit candidates to certify as participants in the Program for a particular election after the deadline has passed. Mr. Linares’ petition was based on the July 14 resignation of City Councilmember Miguel Martinez, a candidate for election in District 10. The Board declared an extraordinary circumstance in the 2009 City Council elections for District 10 and accepted the candidate certification submitted by Mr. Linares, allowing him to participate in the Campaign Finance Program.
The Board also adopted amendments to its rules. The changes provide a standard for determining when a document is considered to be issued or provided by the Board, and conform Board rules to amendments to New York State’s Freedom of Information Law and to the rules of the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings governing formal candidate hearings under the City Administrative Procedure Act. The final rules can be found here later today.
The next public meeting of the New York City Campaign Finance Board will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 6 at 40 Rector Street in Lower Manhattan (between Washington and West Streets), New York, NY 10006.