One of Mayor Eric Adams’ fundraising committees was slapped with nearly $20,000 in fines by the Big Apple’s campaign finance watchdog on Monday for failing to account for more than $120,000 in bank deposits and missing deadlines.
The Campaign Finance Board levied the penalty on Monday against Hizzoner’s account to pay for his transition into City Hall after winning the 2021 mayoral election and his inaugural celebration.
“These fines are essentially just late fees for responding appropriately to the Campaign Finance Board,” said a top Adams political adviser, Evan Thies, in a statement provided on behalf of the campaign.
The complaint from the CFB also reported that the committee — formally known as the Eric Adams Transition and Inauguration Entity, Inc. — also reported accepting more than $56,000 in donations for which there was no matching bank transaction.
Additionally, the CFB determined that Adams failed to promptly refund at least five donations by individuals or corporations barred from contributing to city politicians because they have business before City Hall.
Adams’ political operation chalked the penalties up to book-keeping errors and said the transactions involved accounted for just a fraction of the $2 million it raised.
Mayor Eric Adams’ fundraising committee hit with $20K fine
