Latest news with #CFB
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mayor Adams again denied matching funds as Campaign Finance Board shifts tactics
New York City's Campaign Finance Board on Tuesday again denied Mayor Adams public matching funds for his reelection effort — but the panel switched up the reason for depriving him of the critical cash after losing a key judicial ruling. Since December 2024, the board has withheld more than $3 million in matching funds for Adams' campaign, in large part due to his federal indictment, which accused him of taking bribes and illegal campaign contributions from Turkish government operatives in exchange for political favors. The indictment was dismissed in April at the behest of President Trump's Department of Justice in a highly controversial deal that many believe has left Adams compromised. Despite the dismissal, the CFB has since April at several board meetings continued to cite the corruption case as grounds for denying Adams matching funds, arguing it provides 'reason to believe' he broke city campaign finance laws. However, last week, a Brooklyn Federal Court judge ruled in response to a lawsuit from Adams' campaign that the board couldn't withhold matching funds from Adams due to the indictment, given that it has been dropped. The judge did rule, though, that the board could deny Adams matching funds because of his campaign's long-running failure to respond to its requests for various documentation, including records related to donors mentioned in his indictment. In a meeting Tuesday morning, Frederick Schaffer, CFB's chairman, acknowledged the judge 'called into question' its reasoning on the corruption case. Still, he said the board is continuing to deny Adams matching funds because of the outstanding document requests, delivering a blow to the mayor as he faces a difficult path to reelection, running as an independent in November's general election. 'Because the documents and information requested from the Adams campaign are still outstanding and have been outstanding since last November, the board determines today that Mayor Adams' campaign has failed to demonstrate to eligibility for public funds payments at this time,' Schaffer said. Schaffer also said the board's independent investigation into Adams and his campaign remains 'ongoing.' As part of that probe, the board recently requested a slew of records related to individuals and fundraising events referenced in his indictment. Frank Carone, Adams' reelection campaign chairman, said he's hopeful the mayor will get matching funds at the board's next meeting. He also thanked the Brooklyn Federal Court judge for ruling that the 'reason to believe' standard CFB previously cited in denying Adams funds was 'arbitrary and unconstitutional.' 'Without that arbitrary standard, all that we must do is comply with what remains from CFB's document request … Therefore, we are confident now that Mayor Adams will receive matching funds,' Carone said in a statement. Also at Tuesday's meeting, the board approved about $1 million in new matching funds for Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor who's leading in the polls. It also awarded about $135,000 in new matching funds for Jim Walden, a lawyer mounting a longshot independent bid for mayor. Cuomo, who's also running as an independent in November's mayoral race, didn't apply for Tuesday's matching funds payout, according to his spokesman Rich Azzopardi. In light of his Monday announcement that he will stay in the November race, the ex-governor plans to apply for funds at next month's board meeting, Azzopardi added. Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa didn't apply for Tuesday's payout, either, but his spokesman Daniel Kurzyna said he plans to do so at the August meeting. The CFB's board meetings are typically dry, pro forma affairs. But before Schaffer started reading his statement about denying Adams funds, the meeting was disrupted by a small group of protesters angry about the CFB's flubbed rollout of its 2025 primary elections voter guide, which included a number of errors, resulting in the board having to spend millions of dollars to correct the pamphlet and mail out new ones to city residents. '$7 million down the drain,' one of the protests shouted before being escorted out of the room.
India Gazette
13-07-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Uttarakhand CM launches Apple carton distribution to boost branding, support farmers
ANI 13 Jul 2025, 23:39 GMT+10 Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], July 13 (ANI): Following the directives of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the distribution of cartons has commenced to provide a distinctive identity to the apples cultivated in Uttarakhand. This initiative aims to benefit apple producers in the Uttarkashi and Dehradun districts while enhancing the packaging standards of the apples, as stated in the official release. The Chief Minister stated that Uttarakhand offers immense possibilities for organic farming and horticulture. A policy has been formulated for the proper development of horticulture in the state, and the government is continuously promoting this sector. The state government is particularly encouraging apple cultivation in horticulture. He said that the government is continuously working towards apple production in the state and to ensure a fair price for apples to the apple-producing farmers. Work has been done to give a unique identity to the apples produced in Uttarakhand by selling the apple product of the farmers in the Uttarakhand brand Universal Carton / Corrugated Fibre Board Box (CFB) with Apple Tray. According to the release, to provide higher prices to farmers for their produce, the work of distributing produce among farmers through Horticulture Mobile Squad Centres has been initiated. This involves providing 3.85 lakh Universal Cartons to farmers in Uttarkashi district and 0.75 lakh Universal Cartons to farmers in Dehradun district, both of which are in demand. These cartons are being supplied to the listed firms/companies. The farmers and apple producers of the state will now receive higher prices for their produce by obtaining Universal Cartons on a 50% subsidy under the Uttar Fasal Prabandhan Yojana, a state sector initiative run by the Horticulture and Food Processing Department. Along with this, they will be able to provide their important support in giving a unique identity to the apple produce of Uttarakhand. (ANI)
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Eric Adams loses lawsuit against local election body — and his team is thrilled
NEW YORK — A federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit brought by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who had sought to compel the release of $3.5 million in public matching funds to his reelection campaign. Despite the loss, the mayor's legal team was thrilled. In a 61-page decision, United States District Judge Nicholas Garaufis sided with the New York City Campaign Finance Board, which opted to withhold the matching funds from Adams in December. 'The court finds that the CFB provided two independent valid grounds for denying the Adams Campaign public matching funds,' Garaufis wrote in his decision. Those two reasons were: The Adams camp did not respond in a timely manner to a records request from the board and blew through a deadline to file a financial disclosure form. The Campaign Finance Board had also cited the federal bribery case against Adams that was dismissed in April at the behest of President Donald Trump's Department of Justice. Garaufis did not agree with that line of reasoning, even as he alluded to the unusual nature of the dismissal, which led a former U.S. attorney on the case to quit and the judge to suggest a bargain was struck between Adams and the Trump administration. 'The Board's attempt to shift the burden of proving his innocence to Mayor Adams is inappropriate and goes against the centuries-old American legal principle that presumes the criminal defendant's innocence until proven guilty,' Garaufis wrote in Friday's decision. That line buoyed the hopes of Adams' attorney, who suggested the campaign would be able to submit the required documentation and attain the matching funds at a future board meeting. 'We are confident now that Mayor Adams will receive matching funds and therefore be in a position to bring his record of success for working-class New Yorkers and their families for the general election this November 4th!' Frank Carone, the mayor's attorney and campaign chair, said in a statement. CFB spokesperson Timothy Hunter said the board is reviewing the decision.
New York Post
12-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Mayor Adams' lawsuit over $3.4M campaign funds withheld tossed — but here's why it could help his re-election bid
A federal judge has tossed Mayor Eric Adams' lawsuit seeking to overrule the Campaign Finance Board's decision to withhold millions of dollars in matching funds for his re-election bid. Although a defeat legally, the ruling could prove to be a boon for Hizzoner's independent bid for mayor — with the Brooklyn judge slapping down the board's ability to reference his now-dismissed historic indictment as cause for withholding funds. 'The Board's attempt to shift the burden of proving his innocence to Mayor Adams is inappropriate and goes against the centuries-old American legal principle that presumes the criminal defendant's innocence until proven guilty,' wrote Judge Nicholas Garaufis. The judge in the case said the CFB's use of the indictment against Adams was 'inappropriate' Adams was denied taxpayer-funded matching funds for his re-election run back in December, while battling a criminal indictment for allegedly accepting bribes in the form of campaign donations and free or heavily discounted travel perks in exchange for political favors. That case was tossed after months of Adams cozying up to President Trump and those in his orbit. Judge Dale Ho noted in his dismissal that he did not rule on the merits of the case. The CFB has continued to cite the indictment as part of the basis for withholding funds, saying there was 'reason to believe' wrongdoing had occurred. However, the latest ruling limits the board from denying funds without proof of guilt as unconstitutional. The ruling Friday now only requires the campaign to properly respond to the board for inquiries and have paperwork in on time to get matching funds. 'We are grateful for the Court's thoughtful decision, and knew all along that CFB's 'reason to know' standard as applied here, was arbitrary and unconstitutional,' said Adams campaign chair Frank Carone. 'We are confident now that Mayor Adams will receive matching funds and therefore be in a position to bring his record of success for working-class New Yorkers and their families for the general election this November 4th!' The board's next meeting is set for July 15, where they are expected to vote on Adams' matching funds. The CFB declined to comment.
Politico
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Eric Adams loses lawsuit against local election body — and his team is thrilled
'The court finds that the CFB provided two independent valid grounds for denying the Adams Campaign public matching funds,' Garaufis wrote in his decision. Those two reasons were: The Adams camp did not respond in a timely manner to a records request from the board and blew through a deadline to file a financial disclosure form. The Campaign Finance Board had also cited the federal bribery case against Adams that was dismissed in April at the behest of President Donald Trump's Department of Justice. Garaufis did not agree with that line of reasoning, even as he alluded to the unusual nature of the dismissal, which led a former U.S. attorney on the case to quit and the judge to suggest a bargain was struck between Adams and the Trump administration. 'The Board's attempt to shift the burden of proving his innocence to Mayor Adams is inappropriate and goes against the centuries-old American legal principle that presumes the criminal defendant's innocence until proven guilty,' Garaufis wrote in Friday's decision. That line buoyed the hopes of Adams' attorney, who suggested the campaign would be able to submit the required documentation and attain the matching funds at a future board meeting. 'We are confident now that Mayor Adams will receive matching funds and therefore be in a position to bring his record of success for working-class New Yorkers and their families for the general election this November 4th!' Frank Carone, the mayor's attorney and campaign chair, said in a statement. The CFB declined to comment.
