[VT – New York ]July 11, 2025 — A federal judge has dismissed Mayor Eric Adams’ lawsuit challenging the New York City Campaign Finance Board’s (CFB) decision to withhold $3.5 million in public matching funds for his re-election campaign. Despite the legal setback, Adams’ legal team expressed optimism, noting that the court’s ruling invalidated the CFB’s use of a previously dismissed federal bribery case as grounds for denying the funds.
⚖️ Judge’s Ruling
U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis upheld the CFB’s decision to deny the funds, citing two independent reasons:
- Failure to Respond Promptly: Adams’ campaign did not timely respond to the CFB’s records request.
- Missed Deadline: The campaign missed the deadline to file a required financial disclosure form.
However, Judge Garaufis rejected the CFB’s reliance on the dismissed federal bribery case, emphasizing the principle of “presumption of innocence” and stating that the CFB improperly shifted the burden of proof onto Adams.
😊 Campaign’s Response
Despite the dismissal, Adams’ campaign chair, Frank Carone, expressed confidence that the campaign could still qualify for the matching funds by meeting the necessary procedural requirements. The CFB is scheduled to review the campaign’s eligibility for the funds at its next meeting on July 15.
