More Turkey Trouble for Mayor Adams

 THE CITY

Eric Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign accepted donations from three members of a foundation incorporated by Bilal Erdogan, a son of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and whose board members include Erdogan’s daughter, Esra Albayrak. The campaign is at the center of an FBI probe looking into whether it conspired with the Turkish government to accept illegal foreign contributions.

Adams on Wednesday acknowledged meeting Erdogan while he served as Brooklyn Borough President in response to questions from THE CITY. Under Erdogan, the U.S. State Department has repeatedly cited Turkey for widespread human rights violations including reports of arbitrary killings, torture, and the detention of political opponents, journalists and activists. 

Campaign records show that between 2018 and 2021 the Adams campaign received $6,000 from three U.S. citizens who are board members of the charity, the Turken Foundation, which registered as a foreign agent with the Department of Justice last year. Turkish opposition leaders have alleged that the foundation is a vehicle for the Erdogan family to stash away millions outside the country. (The Adams campaign returned $1,000 to one of the individuals for exceeding a $2,100 contribution limit.)

The Erdogan-linked group’s stated mission is to help house Muslim students in the U.S. and “promote cross-cultural relationships.”

In July 2018, Adams’ mayoral campaign also received $12,600 in contributions from two board members of the Turkish American Steering Committee (TASC), an advocacy group previously co-chaired by an associate of Erdogan’s political party. The Adams campaign had to give back more than $8,000 of those contributions due to campaign contribution limit rules.

 As part of their probe into potential foreign influence in the 2021 mayoral race, federal investigators are currently looking into whether the Turkish government used U.S. citizens as straw donors to mask foreign campaign contributors. Neither Adams nor any member of his campaign have been accused of any criminal wrongdoing.

The donors are all volunteers to the Turken Foundation and TASC and did not list those organizations as employers when making the contributions.

THE CITY contacted the three donors from the Turken Foundation. One of them, foundation treasurer Memis Yetim, said that a “close friend” of his, whom he declined to name, may have handled his donation, which lists him as living in the non-existent city of “Staten Island, NJ,” using the New Jersey street address where Yetim is registered to vote.

The Adams campaign submitted his donation to the Campaign Finance Board for public matching funds, according to campaign records. Only New York City residents are eligible to qualify for the City’s $8-to-$1 matching fund program.

 

Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin arrested for campaign fraud

 

 

 

NBC News 

New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin has surrendered to authorities to face campaign finance fraud-related charges in connection with a past campaign, two people familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

Benjamin is expected to appear in Manhattan federal court later Tuesday. Gov. Kathy Hochul's office couldn't immediately be reached for comment on the arrest, nor could a representative for Benjamin.

His arrest comes after reports that Manhattan federal prosecutors and the FBI were investigating whether Benjamin knowingly engaged in a campaign finance fraud scheme. Subpoenas were issued in connection with the investigation, two sources familiar with the subpoenas said at the time.

The investigators also looked into whether Benjamin helped dole out state money to contributors and/or their projects as part of the alleged fraud.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney and a spokesman for the FBI both previously declined WNBC requests for comment regarding the investigation into Benjamin.  

A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins also did not return requests for comment. 

Benjamin was appointed lieutenant governor by Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2021, shortly after losing a primary bid for New York City comptroller. He previously served as the New York State Senator for District 30, which is made up of Harlem, East Harlem (El Barrio), the Upper West Side, Washington Heights, Hamilton Heights and Morningside Heights.

 Wonder who Kathy Clown is going to pick next and if she will bother to vet that person thoroughly.

Queens BP candidates rolling in taxpayer funded dough

NY Daily News

Taxpayers are footing a huge bill to help experienced politicians bids to win a largely ceremonial office.

Three current and former City Council members raked in a whopping total of $1,897,914 in “public matching funds” for their campaigns, the New York York City Campaign Finance Board announced Thursday.

Former Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley got $867,202; Councilman Costa Constantinides, $584,079; and Councilman Donovan Richards, $446,633. All are Dems running in the March 24 special election to succeed Melinda Katz, who resigned as borough president to become Queens district attorney.

They received $8 in taxpayer funding for every dollar they raised on their own. The candidates had to get at least 100 contributions from Queens residents and raise at least $44,614.

Jumaane Williams spent a million dollars for public advocate campaign

 NY Daily News

The race for public advocate is already the most expensive special election in New York City’s history — and candidates are just getting started.

More than $4 million has been spent by candidates vying for the open seat, according to the latest data available from the New York City Campaign Finance Board. That figure is expected to skyrocket between now and the Feb. 26 election as the remaining candidates have some $2 million in their combined war chests.

Councilman Jumaane Williams (D-Brooklyn) outspent all other candidates through Feb. 11, the latest date covered in the CFB’s most recent reporting period. The campaign has doled out more than $767,000 on the race, including $280,000 in TV ad placements.

 This is a lot of cash for a position that has no real power, except as a stepping stone for higher office for the last two public advocates, being our dumb mayor and new state attorney general.

Williams could do lot more with the position he currently has. Being an official advocate for the public who voted for him

Liu not very adept at fundraising

From the NY Post:

Former City Comptroller John Liu’s state Senate campaign missed the deadline for filing its financial-disclosure statement — and no one there realized it until contacted by The Post Thursday.

The campaign said it resubmitted the documents Thursday and provided The Post with a copy, which showed Liu has just $984.80 in his kitty.

Charter changes up for discussion

This is to let you know that the city's Charter Review Commission is having a series of meetings in the boroughs next week, Queens' turn is Thursday evening, July 26 at Queens Borough Hall. The Charter is basically New York City's "constitution" that lays out the broad parameters for administration and operation of the city. Please see the attached flyer for additional information. - Jessica Douglas, Queens Borough Director of the Mayor's Community Affairs office

Community Boards:
1) Whether to place term limits for Community Board members as a method to encourage diversity.
2) How to Standardize and enhance the existing appointment process
3) Provide additional support in resources; particularly as it relates to urban planning
4) Things to adopt methods to ensure Community Boards are representative of the community they serve.

Campaign Finance:
1) The Reduction of spending limits (no amounts provided).
2) Increasing the public match ( no ratio provided).
3) Look into the timeline for implementation given that candidates are raising money under the current system.

Elections
1) Language accessibility ( providing interpreters, translation of ballots and materials, and community advisory groups)
2) Instant Runoff Voting - Look to implement within local primary elections and for citywide elections (where runoffs is provided) or to extend to all offices (Borough Presidents and City Council offices)

A Citywide Civic Engagement Program
1) how such an entity or office could support, supplement, or coordinate the City’s existing efforts in this area, including the recently announced DemocracyNYC initiative.
2) how such an entity or office could facilitate the expansion of participatory budgeting while working within legal and operational constraints
3) where such an entity or office should be situated;.
4) whether such an entity or office should be independent and non-partisan.

Redistricting for City Council Seats
1) In light of the lack of DOJ oversight, solicit testimony from experts and affected communities about the effects of districting process on racial and ethnic minorities and their voting power.
2) Look at altering the Districting Commission to promote independence, including the appointment process.
3) Studying whether there are ways to counteract effects of an undercount in the next census.

$3/4M taxpayer money blown on worthless race

From the Daily News:

City Public Advocate Letitia James burned through nearly all of the more than $750,000 in taxpayer matching funds in a lopsided race against a poorly funded opponent — spending $500,000 on a single Election Day expenditure, public records show.

James, a Democrat who cruised to reelection over Republican political consultant J.C. Polanco, spent about $1.7 million in total on the race, according to filings with the Campaign Finance Board. She crushed Polanco, her nearest competitor — earning 812,234 votes to his 172,601.

James was widely expected to win her reelection bid — but still filed a statement of need requesting the entire amount of matching funds, citing Polanco as a strong opponent. In doing so, she noted media coverage about the would-be pol — including stories about how little money he had raised.

Candidates are required to return matching funds they do not spend on their race — but James has just $39,018 left in her coffers, meaning the taxpayers will get back little, if anything.

James spent a whopping half-million in one day — Nov. 7, the date of the general election, when she reported the $500,000 payment to Global Strategies Group. Her campaign said the payment was for digital ads that appeared on social media sites, community and ethnic newspaper sites and other news sites — including the Daily News website.

BDB claims he was not aware of hidden cash

From the Daily News:

Maybe Mayor de Blasio was too busy campaigning to read how a loophole in the city's Campaign Finance Board has allowed a powerful lobbying firm to stay under the radar as one of his fund-raisers.

Constantinople & Vallone steered $60,900 in campaign cash to de Blasio, but was not required to be listed as a fundraiser with the city's finance board, the Daily News reported Sunday.

The mayor said he hadn’t read it.

"I haven't seen that story specifically," he told Rita Cosby on 77 WABC when asked about the News’ story.

Under the city's campaign-finance law, city candidates must detail the names of their fund-raisers and how much they raised to the city's Campaign Finance Board.

But Constantinople & Vallone is not listed online as a de Blasio fund-raiser because the firm was on host committees for campaign-sponsored events. Hosts are not deemed intermediaries or fund-raisers if the campaign covers the event.

The money raised was listed on obscure filings with the City Clerk's Lobbying Bureau.

Video Voter Guide: Council Districts 20 & 23

These 2 incumbents are presented without their challengers, who failed to record videos for the voter guide.

Liu slapped with more campaign finance fines

From NY1:

A former city comptroller was hit Thursday with a hefty fine in connection with his 2013 run for mayor.

The campaign board slapped John Liu with $26,000 in campaign finance fines in connection with a straw donor scandal.

This comes after Liu's campaign treasurer and a campaign fundraiser were convicted of federal fraud charges.

They were accused of concocting a phony donor scheme to get Liu public matching funds.

Liu never received the funds, but the board determined that his campaign should be penalized for fraud.

Van Bramer drops out of matching funds program

From Progress Queens:

New York City Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) continues to make fundraising appeals for his 2017 campaign committee to reëlect, even after he has reportedly dropped out of the matching funds program of the New York City Campaign Finance Board.

In an e-mail distributed on Thursday, Councilmember Van Bramer's campaign committee sought campaign contributions, in part, because, "I need your help in order to face the very real and immensely important fights that are ahead. I've spent this year organizing the resistance against the devisive retoric from the White House."

The e-mail apparently referred to a protest march that Councilmember Van Bramer spearheaded last November to denounce the politics of then-President elect Donald Trump as an affront to "Queens values," a vague political construct that appeared to overlook the prominent conservative sensibility that exists amongst voters in the borough of Queens.

Councilmember Van Bramer's campaign fundraising drive continues in the face of a news report that his campaign committee has reportedly exceeded a fundraising cap and has dropped out of the Municipal matching funds program, according to an article published by The Gotham Gazette. Councilmemmber Van Bramer is a member of the City Council's Progressive Caucus.

For this report, Councilmember Van Bramer's office did not answer a request to explain why the incumbent candidate dropped out of matching funds program.

DeBlasio doesn't care about misuse of city resources

From the Daily News:

One of the top city jail officials busted for misusing a city car — an offense that was shrugged off by the mayor — made thousands of dollars in political donations to Bill de Blasio’s mayoral campaigns.

Jeff Thamkittikasem, 41, drove the department-owned car to a friend’s house on Virginia’s Chesapeake coast for a birthday party last year, according to the Department of Investigation.

Thamkittikasem, who serves as chief of staff to Correction Commissioner Joseph Ponte, donated $8,225 to de Blasio’s mayoral campaign in 2013. At that time, he was president of a Washington, D.C.-based firm, Sentinel Strategy and Policy Consulting.

The donation exceeded the legal donor limit, so the campaign had to return $1,000.

On Monday, City Hall defended Thamkittikasem. “Jeff took a substantial pay cut from the private sector in order to take on one of the most challenging responsibilities in city government,” said mayoral spokeswoman Natalie Grybauskas.

He’s stayed politically active since joining the city payroll — donating a total of $2,175 toward de Blasio's re-election, records show.

As for his use of the car, Thamkittikasem told probers he answered phone calls and emails while out of town in 2016 and considered it the equivalent of being at work.

He also used the car to drive to the Washington, D.C., area to deal with a problem with a residence he owns there, he told investigators. And he drove his parents to and from the airport with the car, even though he specifically told Ponte he was off duty during those periods.

Well that took a while

From the Times Ledger:

Former mayoral candidate John Liu, who began his political career as a city councilman representing northeast Queens, was fined more than $15,000 for violations related to his successful 2009 run for New York City comptroller by the city’s Campaign Finance Board.

Liu’s campaign was fined for accepting 31 over-the-limit contributions, as well as five corporate contributions, eight contributions from unregistered political committees and 16 over-the-limit “Doing Business” contributions. The latter refers to contributions from individuals who have some sort of business with New York City, which the Campaign Finance Board restricts more heavily.

He had received more than $1.3 million in public funds for his 2009 comptroller race, according to the CFB. Liu’s 2009 campaign has a remaining balance of $28,315, according to the CFB’s site.

De Blasio campaign fined for financial shenanigans

From the Observer:

The city’s Campaign Finance Board slapped Mayor Bill de Blasio this afternoon with $47,778 in penalties for an array of violations connected with his 2013 campaign—including verboten post-election expenses, travel costs for his son and “makeup services” for his family.

His biggest fine was $21,159 for making impermissible post-election expenditures. In a summary of its final determination for the de Blasio, the board said that the campaign paid Hilltop Public Solutions $168,750 for post-election services, $116,250 of which they said are improper post-election expenses.

The mayor’s campaign said that Hilltop served as its general consultant and that it was qualified to oversee the initial post-election “winding down work” as well as the “final winding down” work—and cited the hiring of Bill Hyers as contributing to the firm’s “unique” qualifications. The campaign also said the firm was paid on an as-needed basis as opposed to a standard monthly retainer so the fees paid under contract are nominal.

Hyers is one of the five infamous “agents of the city” whose email correspondence with the administration de Blasio has refused to release—even in the face of lawsuits from the press.

But the board said that the campaign failed to provide ample documentation and explanations outlining the responsibilities, work product and other services Hilltop provided.

The next biggest fine was $12,483 for accepting over-the-limit contributions, followed by $6,086 for accepting contributions from corporations, limited liability companies or partnerships and $3,200 for failing to demonstrate compliance with intermediary reporting and documentation requirements.

He was also fined for $2,087 for failing to file/late filing of daily pre-election disclosure statements and $1,000 for accepting contributions from unregistered political committees.

Other smaller penalties were $407 for failing to report transactions, $300 for failing to document transactions and $250 for commingling with campaign funds accepted for a different election.

The mayor was also fined $806 for failing to demonstrate that spending was in furtherance of the campaign. In particular, the board notes $550 spent on makeup services for de Blasio and his family on Election Night, which his campaign descried as a legitimate expense because it was meant to prepare them for their scheduled televised public campaign appearances “at a likely victory celebration.” But the board stated that using campaign funds for “personal grooming” is prohibited.

New City Council tweeding effort underway

David Greenfield

From the Daily News:

Just in time for the 2017 election cycle, the City Council is set to scale back oversight of its own members’ cash infusions from New York City’s taxpayer-backed campaign fund matching program.

They must not get away with it.

The program, intended to amplify the voices of small-fry donors in local elections, offers a 6-to-1 match for every dollar contributed by city residents. The first $175 is matchable, meaning a maximum grant of $1,050. In 2013 elections, the matches totaled $33 million.

To ensure that the private contributions that trigger public support are on the up and up, donors are simply asked to certify that their contributions are kosher under law.

Giving a check? Sign a card that says “I understand that State law requires that a contribution be in my name and be from my own funds.”

Are you a city contractor or lobbyist, thereby barred from giving more than $250 to a Council candidate and $400 for mayor? Spell it out.

That’s it — hardly a lie-detector test, but an important caution against illegal straw donations, like those that hobbled former Controller John Liu’s 2013 mayoral bid , and against corrupting, oversized contributions.

Yet here come Councilmen David Greenfield and Carlos Menchaca of Brooklyn, with legislation, popular in a self-serving Council, that would eliminate the requirement for most contributions by check. And credit card. And text message. And many by money order.

Where the forms would still be required — for instance, for contributions made in cash — the measure would give campaigns authority to complete or correct the paperwork on donors’ behalf.

Weiner used campaign cash in a shady manner

From NBC:

Ex-mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner continues his precipitous fall from grace; this time, he's been slapped with $64,956 in fines by the city Campaign Finance Board Thursday for misusing campaign funds over the past decade.

The board unanimously voted to fine his campaign for ten violations of campaign law, including accepting contributions from corporations and making impermissible post-election expenditures.

Weiner's campaign spent $1,539 on dry cleaning and bills for two cellphones. The campaign said one of the phones was a personal line used for fundraising in 2013 and the other was acquired during his 2005 mayoral campaign.

He received a $2,308 fine for these violations since converting campaign funds to personal use is prohibited.

He was fined another $22,031 for spending $600 on TVs and over $56,000 on improperly documented labor.

The former congressman's campaign spent $115,268 post-election, including $46,169 to a consultant. The CFB found that the expense was impermissible because the campaign didn't provide documentation for the individuals they paid.

Weiner allegedly accepted 21 over-the-limit contributions in excess of the allowable limit of $4,950, as well as two illegitimate gifts from corporations.

The campaign will have to repay $196,377 in unused taxpayer matching funds. A source close to the 2013 Weiner campaign said the amount is money left in his account; by law, it will be returned to taxpayers.

A new form of tweeeding

From NY1:

The City Council is poised to make changes to the city's campaign finance system, including regulating nonprofit groups started by elected officials. But the Council is also preparing to consider legislation that some advocates say only benefits the lawmakers themselves. NY1's Courtney Gross filed the following report.

The City Council is already looking ahead to next year's municipal election.

Late Thursday, it released details of 14 bills to overhaul the city's campaign finance system.

One prohibits large donations from people who do business with the city to nonprofit groups founded by elected officials.

It is a clear reprimand of the mayor's now-defunct group, The Campaign for One New York, which raised thousands of dollars from people who had city contracts. The group is now the subject of a federal investigation.

"The Campaign For One New York obviously raised concerns for a lot of us, but it was operating within the law. So we want to correct the law," said City Councilman Daniel Garodnick of Manhattan.

The other bills change how the city's Campaign Finance Board oversees elections and how elected officials themselves can spend campaign cash.

"I think what we have is a package of really sensible legislation," said City Councilman Brad Lander of Brooklyn.

For instance, one bill would allow elected officials to spend campaign money on "expenditures to facilitate, support or otherwise assist in the execution or performance of the duties of public office."

"That lets you use those resources for public purposes like food at community planning and public meetings," Lander said.

Advocates have questioned whether this opens the door to more freewheeling spending reminiscent of Albany.

De Blasio 2013 campaign audit still not done

From the NY Post:

They’ve had three years, but auditors for the city’s Campaign Finance Board still haven’t completed a review of Mayor de Blasio’s 2013 campaign.

Dick Dadey, president of Citizens Union, said that’s “unacceptable.”

“That they have not done this yet indicates there are unresolved issues and problems with the campaign’s spending of taxpayer dollars,” Dadey said.

“The public needs to know what, if any, issues there were with the campaign’s handling of its finances.”

Audits are supposed to be completed within 18 months.

But campaigns often request — and are granted — extensions.

The CFB declined to say whether de Blasio 2013 asked for such and extension and the campaign didn’t respond to an email.

Records show de Blasio’s campaign received $3.9 million in public matching funds in 2013.

DeBlasio uses a loophole to pay for lawyers

From the Daily News:

City politicians aren't allowed to use their campaign cash to pay lawyers representing them in criminal matters, but Mayor de Blasio has found a way around this problem.

The mayor — now facing multiple investigations of his campaign fund-raising tactics — is using an obscure loophole in campaign finance laws to pay the lawyers defending him.

He’s taking advantage of the fact that while city law mandates donations for primary and general elections can only be used for lawyers handling non-criminal matters related to a campaign, funds raised for run-off elections face no such restriction.

That’s because run-offs fall under state law, not city law, and the state allows campaign funds to pay for criminal defense lawyers. Convicted Albany leaders Sheldon Silver and Dean Skelos both took advantage of that this year.

Council trying to reform campaign finance rules

From the Daily News:

A package of bills to tighten the city’s campaign finance rules is set to be introduced in the City Council this week.

The legislation would bar more people from giving big bucks to candidates because they do business with the city, and slap more restrictions on fundraising by such donors.

Right now, owners of firms with city business are bound by strict contribution limits - but their parent companies and those companies’ execs aren’t covered. That means real estate titans who hide their business in multiple LLCs can get out of the rules.

People with city business can only give $400 for mayor and other citywide offices - compared to $4,950 for other donors. Under the new rules, when one business owns a chunk of another business that deals with the city, the parent company’s officials would have to follow the lower limits.

Another bill would ban candidates from getting taxpayer matching funds for donations raised by fundraisers who do business with the city.