Mayor Adams Is Denied Public Money for His Re-election Campaign

The New York City Campaign Finance Board voted to withhold as much as $4.3 million in matching funds from Mayor Eric Adams, hampering his re-election bid.

Mayor Eric Adams was denied public matching funds for his re-election campaign on Monday amid concerns about his fund-raising practices, dealing a major setback to his bid for a second term.

The New York City Campaign Finance Board ruled that Mr. Adams could not participate in a program that awards an eight-for-one match of small-dollar donations, withholding as much as $4.3 million.

“After thoroughly reviewing all available information including the details of the indictment of Mayor Adams, the board has determined that there is reason to believe the Adams campaign has engaged in conduct detrimental to the matching-funds program in violation of law,” said Frederick P. Schaffer, the board’s chair.

Mr. Adams was indicted on federal corruption charges in September and is expected to go on trial in April; his top adviser, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, resigned on Sunday amid a grand jury investigation by prosecutors in Manhattan.

The mayor, who has seen his approval rating fall to a record low, is facing a difficult path to re-election next year, and the denial of matching funds places him at a significant disadvantage. He will have less money to spend on television advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts in a competitive race, and could be forced to devote more time to fund-raising.

The board’s denial of matching funds is not unprecedented. John Liu, a top mayoral candidate in 2013, was denied $3.5 million in public matching funds after two campaign workers were convicted in a straw-donor scandal. The decision exacerbated his political problems, and he finished the Democratic primary race in fourth place.