#campaign-finance

#campaign-finance

According to a New York City Campaign Finance Board review and reporting by the New York Post, at least 170 donations came from individuals with foreign addresses - a direct violation of federal, state, and local laws that prohibit non-U.S. citizens or non-permanent residents from contributing to political campaigns. The donations, which include contributions from professionals in Canada, Germany, Australia, and the UAE, raise serious concerns about the legality - and integrity - of Mamdani's campaign operation.

We will of course return any donations that are not in compliance with CFB law,

The Mamdani campaign made a payment of $28,677.57 to DSA's NYC chapter on September 15 and filled in the purpose field that the funds were for "Other: explntion / Texting." Mamdani's campaign has previously given numerous smaller payments totaling roughly $3,000 to DSA for "Fundraising / Fundraising Emails" but the September donation represents by far the largest contribution to the group since his campaign was launched. NYC-DSA has received 36 payments, totaling over $33,000 from Mamdani's campaign since early 2025.

Norfolk County Sheriff Patrick McDermott has agreed to pay a hefty civil forfeiture after state regulators determined he unlawfully spent tens of thousands of dollars in campaign funds to further his "personal business future."

One was a fairly traditional super PAC, announced via a splashy press release, with multiple major industry players planning to donate over $100 million to boost AI-friendly candidates across the country. The other was far more unusual. Meta had quietly filed to create the Mobilizing Economic Transformation Across (Meta) California, a state-only super PAC that would allow Meta to spend its own money to run political ads on behalf of their AI interests - and only their interests.

If one of the old investigative journalism shows was publishing a story on this topic, they'd probably call the segment "Power Play: How Lobbyists Shape Transportation Infrastructure." The grandfatherly voice would open up with, "The corridors of power are often unseen, but their impact is felt by all." Dun dun dun. It's kind of their thing to sound over-the-top, but lobbying certainly deserves that sort of big-voiced, you-won't-believe-what-comes-next vibe. Lobbyists collect money from clients in order to buy legislation.

San Jose elected leaders are set to raise how much they can accept in gifts from business and labor interests, arguing it will save taxpayers money. The City Council on Tuesday will decide whether to raise its gift limits from $50 to $200, which equates to a higher number of free meals or tickets they can receive at networking luncheons, business conferences and nonprofit celebrations. The item is on the consent agenda, meaning it will be approved without discussion - unless an official pulls it to discuss with colleagues.

Streetsblog will spend Labor Day out on Eastern Parkway with the bands revelers (and politicians) at the city's annual West Indian Day Parade. We'll be back Tuesday with more award-winning local transportation journalism. Until then, check out the weekend's news: Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani suffered injuries in a car crash in New Hampshire. (NY Times) Even the New York Post is excited about this month's first ever Curbside Dining Week.

As the housing crisis and wealth inequality emerge as top issues for voters in New York City, mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani has called for higher taxes on the rich to pay for services and famously suggested that billionaires should not exist. Mamdani's viral campaign handily defeated Andrew Cuomo, New York's former governor, in a Democratic primary earlier this year. As expected, billionaires and billionaire-owned companies such as Airbnb and DoorDash are now spending big to defeat Mamdani and influence the race.

DoorDash has called the proposal "extreme" and said it "puts delivery and the benefits it brings at risk." And "when app lobbyists talk, many Council members pay close attention," writes The City's Claudia Irizarry Aponte.

The expenditures in question, made between 2012 and 2024, fall into two broad categories - a series of specific purchases totaling $94,824.33, either with no listed purpose or explanation as required by law or vague justifications for the expenditure.

The Campaign Finance Board on Wednesday voted to deny Mayor Eric Adams public matching funds for his reelection bid, citing failure to provide requested information and potential law violations.

Trump publicly accused Kamala Harris, Beyonce, Oprah, and Al Sharpton of criminal campaign finance violations, alleging improper payments made to them after the Presidential Election.