Mayor Eric Adams has launched a second lawsuit against the city’s Campaign Finance Board (CFB), amid ongoing investigations regarding his campaign fundraising practices.
The lawsuit, filed in Brooklyn federal court, comes as Adams faces significant challenges in the latest polls, where he trails behind his opponents.
The CFB has denied Adams’ requests for over $4 million in public matching funds, citing persistent issues with his campaign’s fundraising tactics.
This latest legal action is not the first; Adams previously sued the CFB in May, but that case was dismissed in July by Judge Nicholas Garaufis.
Judge Garaufis ruled that the CFB was justified in denying matching funds due to the Adams campaign’s failure to provide documents required for the board’s investigation into questionable donations.
After the recent filing, the case was initially assigned to Chief Judge Margo Brodie but has since been reassigned back to Judge Garaufis.
CFB officials have refrained from commenting on the ongoing litigation, but they are set to vote on matching fund requests in the coming days.
Court documents indicate that the CFB is actively pursuing its investigation of Adams’ 2021 and 2025 mayoral campaigns, raising concerns about the legitimacy of his fundraising activities.
The Adams campaign recently submitted a list of 31 individuals allegedly contacted regarding the CFB’s inquiry.
Some of these individuals have received subpoenas from the CFB as part of the investigation.
Compounding the allegations against Adams, Erden Arkan, a contractor from Brooklyn with ties to the Turkish government, has pled guilty to facilitating illegal straw donations for the mayor and is cooperating with the CFB’s investigation.
Arkan, who was sentenced to a year of probation and fined $18,000 in restitution for his role in the scheme, is a significant witness in the ongoing audit of Adams’ campaigns.
Thus far, the board has repeatedly rebuffed Adams’ requests for matching funds over extensive irregularities found in his campaign’s filings.
The legal representation for both lawsuits has been provided by Abrams Fensterman, a law firm with close ties to the Kings County Democratic Committee.
Vito Pitta, the campaign’s attorney, has argued that the Trump Justice Department’s decision to dismiss Adams’ criminal case undermines the CFB’s rationale for denying matching funds.
In his second lawsuit, Adams contends that the board’s actions contradict the principles of fairness intended by the public matching funds program.
Adams emphasizes that he has complied with all requirements and believes the CFB’s decisions are unfounded.
Following the first suit’s dismissal, Pitta presented a so-called “preliminary response” to the CFB featuring text messages between campaign staff members but lacking any communications involving Adams himself.
He noted that Adams possesses evidence acquired from the Manhattan federal prosecutors and claims he is restricted from disclosing this evidence due to a protective order.
The indictment filed against Adams alleged several instances of direct communication between him and his campaign team regarding fundraising activities.
Additionally, the campaign’s response to the CFB included a list of individuals who were contacted in relation to document requests but stated that only “some” provided information, while others either claimed to have no relevant records or sought legal advice against sharing materials.
CFB General Counsel Joseph Gallagher remarked that the response was incomplete, highlighting the campaign’s ongoing failure to deliver requested documentation.
The legal struggles to secure these essential public matching funds come at a critical time for Adams, who is currently lagging in the race for reelection.
In a recent poll, Adams garnered only 9%, trailing behind Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, who had 18%.
Both candidates are significantly behind frontrunner Zohran Mamadani, who leads with 39%, and former Governor Andrew Cuomo at 21%, while 13% of voters remain undecided.
As the legal battle unfolds and the election campaign continues, Mayor Adams’ ability to rally support and secure the needed funds remains in jeopardy amid these allegations.
image source from：thecity
