NYC CFB Votes on 2013 Campaign Enforcement Matters

Press release:

At today’s regularly scheduled meeting, the New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB) determined that three campaigns from the 2013 citywide election cycle committed violations and assessed penalties for those violations.

The Board determined that one campaign is required to repay public funds, and one campaign is eligible to receive a post-election funds payment. Refer to the charts below for details on these determinations.

Additionally, the Board granted a petition for extraordinary circumstance in Council District 28, allowing candidates to file certifications in the matching funds program.

Chairman Frederick Schaffer delivered the following remarks at the meeting:

“Next week, the Board will make the first public funds payments in the 2017 elections. For participating candidates who qualify, contributions from New York City residents are matched at a 6-to-1 rate. The match applies to the first one hundred seventy five dollars, so each city resident’s contribution could be worth a maximum of $1,050 in public funds.

The public matching funds encourage candidates to raise small-dollar contributions in their neighborhoods. This limits the influence of large contributions from special interests and ensure that candidates better understand and address the diverse interests and needs of everyday New Yorkers.

In order to receive public matching funds, candidates must meet a fundraising threshold to show they have public support, and follow the rules of the program. This includes attending at least one training session. CFB staff have held trainings for candidates and campaigns staff regularly since 2014. And Monday, August 7th will be the last day for candidates to attend these mandatory training sessions for the 2017 election cycle.”

Violations and Penalties
(for details, follow the link in the Total Penalties column)

Candidate (Election Cycle)	Office	Alleged Violation	Penalty	Total Penalties
Joseph Hayon (2013) Public Funds Received: $23,100	City Council (District #44)	1. Failing to report transactions	$99	$5,786
		2. Failing to demonstrate compliance with reporting requirements for disbursements	$500
		3. Filing a late disclosure statement	$50
		4. Accepting a contribution from a corporation	$1,350
		5. Failing to document a transaction	No penalty
		6. Failing to demonstrate that spending was in furtherance of the campaign	$977
		7. Failing to respond to the Initial Documentation Request and filing a late response to the Draft Audit Report	$2,810

 

Candidate (Election Cycle)	Office	Alleged Violation	Penalty	Total Penalties
Mark Weprin (2013) Public Funds Received: $0 (Non-Participant)	City Council (District #23)	1. Accepting over-the-limit contributions from two contributors doing business with the city	$250	$996
		2. Accepting a contribution from a limited liability company	$125
		3. Failure to demonstrate compliance with intermediary reporting and documentation requirements	$100
		4. Making a cash expenditure greater than $100	$50
		5. Late response to the Initial Documentation Request	$471

 

Candidate (Election Cycle)	Office	Alleged Violation	Penalty	Total Penalties
Mercedes Narcisse (2013) Public Funds Received: $0	City Council (District #46)	1. Failing to report a merchant account used for campaign purposes	$50	$10,997
		2. Failing to provide bank statements	$500
		3. Failing to report transactions	$872
		4. Failing to demonstrate compliance with cash receipts reporting and documentation requirements	$960
		5. Failing to demonstrate compliance with reporting requirements for disbursements	No penalty
		6. Filing late disclosure statements	$875
		7. Accepting over-the-limit contributions	$1,650
		8. Accepting an in-kind contribution from a corporation	$125
		9. Accepting contributions from unregistered political committees	$250
		10. Failing to document basic campaign functions	$500
		11. Failing to document transactions	$300
		12. Failing to demonstrate compliance with intermediary reporting and documentation requirements	$200
		13. Failing to demonstrate that spending was in furtherance of the campaign	$2,549
		14. Failing to respond to the Initial Documentation Request, and an audit request	$2,166

Public Funds Repayment

Candidate (Election Cycle)	Public Funds Received	Public Funds Repayment
Joseph Hayon (2013) City Council (District #44)	$23,100	$19,859

 Post-Election Public Funds Payment

Candidate (Election Cycle)	Public Funds Received	Public Funds Payment
Mercedes Narcisse (2013) City Council (District #46)	$0	$1,648

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Archived video of today’s meeting and hearing is available at www.nyccfb.info/live.

Editorial: New York’s Unlevel Field

From an Albany Times Union editorial on the need to improve voter turnout: “(t)here’s no lack of suggestions on what could be done to improve turnout: early voting over multiple days; voting by mail; “no excuse” absentee ballot voting rather than the current system that allows it only for certain reasons; improving poll accessibility for people with disabilities; and having more poll workers and voting machines to reduce lines.

New York Expands Access To Voter Registration Forms

In the Times Union, Matthew Hamilton writes “Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered state agencies to make voter registration forms available to the public and offer assistance in filling them out in an effort to boost participation in elections.

An executive order the governor signed Monday requires agencies to mail or provide electronic voter registration forms to any member of the public whose contact information is on file. Previously, only the state Department of Motor Vehicles and certain social service agencies provided voter registration forms.”

Teachout Gets Seat On Cuomo’s Democratic State Committee

Jimmy Vielkind reports in the Times Union that “Zephyr Teachout, a law professor who challenged Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a 2014 primary and ran unsuccessfully for Congress last year, has been nominated for a seat on the Democratic State Committee.”

The committee meets outside Albany next Tuesday.

Labor Spends To Oppose Con Con

Nick Reisman reports in State of Politics that a “coalition of disparate groups formed to oppose the constitutional convention referendum this November reported raising $635,300 toward that effort, according to a campaign filing made public this week.”

Reform Party Seeks To Kick deBlasio Off Working Families Line

Azi Paybarah reports in Politico NY  that “Mayor Bill de Blasio should be denied a place on the Working Families Party ballot line in November, according to a planned legal challenge that questions the party’s process for selecting candidates.

An attorney with the Reform Party, Richard Luthmann, said he plans to file an objection to the WFP’s endorsements in races for mayor, public advocate and city comptroller.”

Councilman’s Explanation For Handing Seat To Pal Doesn’t Hold Up

In Crain’s, Will Bredderman takes a further look into NYC Council Member David Greenfield’s decision not to run for reelection: “As Brooklyn Councilman David Greenfield officially gave the Democratic ballot line for his seat to a protégé through a clandestine political maneuver Tuesday, he tried to counter criticism by claiming the law does not allow for an open election.

That is not the case.”