Finance Board Fines Consultants to City Council Races

BY GABRIEL PARIENTE

The New York City Campaign Finance Board voted on Thursday to punish a political consulting group for arranging mailers for one of their clients who provided financial contributions to two candidates, Mark Levine and Laurie Cumbo, who went on to win seats on the City Council in 2013.

“We’ve been watching with dismay as outside groups and candidates at the federal level test the boundaries, and often cross the line, of coordination,” said board member Mark Piazza. “New Yorkers have been clear that they don’t want that happening in our city elections, and strong enforcement is the only way to ensure it doesn’t.”

The consulting group Advance Group Inc. was fined $15,000 for cooperating in expenditures reported to be independent, though this meant they should not have been coordinating with election year efforts by their client NYCLASS (New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets). They had registered with the Campaign Finance Board as an independent expenditure, and were warned by CFB staff that their actions would lead to fines, but the expenditures continued.

“When a consultant’s actions make it impossible for their clients to comply with the law, the Board will hold the consultant accountable,” said Piazza.

NYCLASS dropped Advance Group Inc. after the consulting group was put under federal investigation for allegedly inappropriately aiding in Bill de Blasio’s 2013 mayoral campaign. The group allegedly spearheaded NYCLASS’ independent expenditure against former council speaker and mayoral candidate Christine Quinn when she would not support NYCLASS’s attempt to ban horse carriages which was a top priority for the organization.

The Levine and Cumbo campaigns were both fined last year $7,868 and $8,686 respectively but the CFB said the consulting group serving as an agent for their clients bears a heavy burden for the wrongdoing. New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced earlier that a $10,800 penalty would be levied against Advance group, amounting to fines of over $25,000. Overall, the CFB has assessed penalties of nearly $58,000 for the violations orchestrated by Advance Group Inc.

“The Campaign Finance Board will vigorously enforce coordination between outside groups and candidates that violate the law, these violations strike at the very heart of our campaign finance program,” said Piazza.