Andrew Cuomo Advised: Refrain from Sending Notes to Super PAC
Campaign finance regulators cautioned New York mayoral candidates about the importance of avoiding coordination with super PACs.
TroibNews 
NEW YORK — Campaign finance regulators issued a cautionary message to Andrew Cuomo, the leading Democratic candidate in the New York City mayoral race, regarding recent practices that raised eyebrows.
On Monday, the New York City Campaign Finance Board sent an email to all city campaigns, indicating that new rules adopted last November have tightened regulations against coordination between candidates and independent expenditure committees, commonly referred to as super PACs.
This development followed PMG’s report from last week revealing that Cuomo was employing an increasingly popular legal tactic known as “redboxing” to communicate his messaging and advertising preferences.
While anyone can access the “message for voters” section linked at the bottom of Cuomo’s campaign website, it appears to be primarily aimed at political operatives working for his supporting super PAC, Fix the City. This PAC could leverage over a dozen selected video clips of Cuomo as well as specific directives, including a request for advertisements targeted at individuals aged 40 to 55 who engage with non-traditional media.
Federal election regulations allow this practice as long as the information is publicly accessible. However, local rules are stricter due to a board vote last November.
The board's email highlighted that it could be viewed as illegal coordination if a super PAC utilizes “strategic information or data related to the candidate” in a manner that the candidate “knew or should have known would facilitate the spender’s use of the information.”
Should the board determine that a candidate coordinated improperly, the repercussions could be severe — potentially rendering a campaign ineligible for public matching funds or necessitating repayment of funds already received.
While the Campaign Finance Board declined to comment further, Cuomo's campaign insisted it is operating within legal bounds.
“At 4:30 p.m. today, I spoke to the Campaign Finance Board who informed me that this letter wasn't directed at the Cuomo campaign,” campaign attorney Marty Connor stated. “While they were aware of the week-old news report surrounding the language on the campaign’s website, the CFB said if they had an issue with it, they would have contacted us directly. The language on the website is from public polling or other publicly available information and in accordance with the law."
State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, a fellow candidate in the Democratic primary, filed a complaint with the Campaign Finance Board on Monday, alleging illegal coordination between Cuomo's campaign and the super PAC.
The complaint, first reported by The New York Times, noted that TV ads run by Fix the City “closely mirror the language and themes set forth on the campaign website’s messaging page.”
The Cuomo-backed super PAC, led by longtime associate Steve Cohen, has raised upwards of $6 million as of April — providing him with significant resources ahead of the June 24 Democratic primary. Rivals Zohran Mamdani and Scott Stringer also have super PACs established, with Mamdani's boasting $64,000 and Stringer's yet to report any fundraising.
A spokesperson for Fix the City noted that the group had not received the letter from the campaign finance regulators.
“Fix the City is an independent committee with a board of responsible and experienced professionals,” spokesperson Liz Benjamin commented. “It operates within the rules and takes its obligations seriously.”
In April, Fix the City released a television ad that served as a biographical spot showcasing Cuomo’s achievements as governor, with additional ads anticipated soon.
The group has garnered contributions from high-profile donors connected to President Donald Trump, including billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, alongside significant donations from wealthy real estate executives.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
On Monday, the New York City Campaign Finance Board sent an email to all city campaigns, indicating that new rules adopted last November have tightened regulations against coordination between candidates and independent expenditure committees, commonly referred to as super PACs.
This development followed PMG’s report from last week revealing that Cuomo was employing an increasingly popular legal tactic known as “redboxing” to communicate his messaging and advertising preferences.
While anyone can access the “message for voters” section linked at the bottom of Cuomo’s campaign website, it appears to be primarily aimed at political operatives working for his supporting super PAC, Fix the City. This PAC could leverage over a dozen selected video clips of Cuomo as well as specific directives, including a request for advertisements targeted at individuals aged 40 to 55 who engage with non-traditional media.
Federal election regulations allow this practice as long as the information is publicly accessible. However, local rules are stricter due to a board vote last November.
The board's email highlighted that it could be viewed as illegal coordination if a super PAC utilizes “strategic information or data related to the candidate” in a manner that the candidate “knew or should have known would facilitate the spender’s use of the information.”
Should the board determine that a candidate coordinated improperly, the repercussions could be severe — potentially rendering a campaign ineligible for public matching funds or necessitating repayment of funds already received.
While the Campaign Finance Board declined to comment further, Cuomo's campaign insisted it is operating within legal bounds.
“At 4:30 p.m. today, I spoke to the Campaign Finance Board who informed me that this letter wasn't directed at the Cuomo campaign,” campaign attorney Marty Connor stated. “While they were aware of the week-old news report surrounding the language on the campaign’s website, the CFB said if they had an issue with it, they would have contacted us directly. The language on the website is from public polling or other publicly available information and in accordance with the law."
State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, a fellow candidate in the Democratic primary, filed a complaint with the Campaign Finance Board on Monday, alleging illegal coordination between Cuomo's campaign and the super PAC.
The complaint, first reported by The New York Times, noted that TV ads run by Fix the City “closely mirror the language and themes set forth on the campaign website’s messaging page.”
The Cuomo-backed super PAC, led by longtime associate Steve Cohen, has raised upwards of $6 million as of April — providing him with significant resources ahead of the June 24 Democratic primary. Rivals Zohran Mamdani and Scott Stringer also have super PACs established, with Mamdani's boasting $64,000 and Stringer's yet to report any fundraising.
A spokesperson for Fix the City noted that the group had not received the letter from the campaign finance regulators.
“Fix the City is an independent committee with a board of responsible and experienced professionals,” spokesperson Liz Benjamin commented. “It operates within the rules and takes its obligations seriously.”
In April, Fix the City released a television ad that served as a biographical spot showcasing Cuomo’s achievements as governor, with additional ads anticipated soon.
The group has garnered contributions from high-profile donors connected to President Donald Trump, including billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, alongside significant donations from wealthy real estate executives.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
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