Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo denied matching funds for NYC mayoral campaign due to missing paperwork

Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s mayoral run has been denied millions of dollars in public matching funds, after his filing with New York City’s Campaign Finance Board failed to provide necessary documentation.

Campaign officials blamed the problem on a since-fixed software glitch, and said they expect to get the funding next month.

News that the Cuomo campaign would not get matching funds — estimated to be about $2.5 million — came at a meeting Tuesday of the city’s Campaign Finance Board, which awarded funds to other candidates.

Under the matching funds program, a city resident’s qualifying donation of up to $250 is matched with $2,000 in public funds. The program is meant to encourage candidates to fundraise from everyday people and discourage fundraising from powerful interests.

Cuomo raised about $1.5 million in the first 13 days in March since declaring his long-rumored run. A super PAC, which can skirt the city’s stricter campaign finance laws, has raked in about $4.1 million from 57 donors, Newsday reported last week, with about 42% coming from seven sources contributing $250,000 apiece.

Cuomo, who resigned in scandal in 2021 from the governorship, has been the front-runner for the Democratic primary since even before he declared, polls show.

Yet another poll, this one taken last week by Sienna College for AARP and released Tuesday, showed Cuomo with a double-digit lead, at 34%, in ranked-choice voting, over the next most popular candidate, Assemb. Zohran Mamdani (D-Astoria), who got 16%.

A statement issued by the campaign, attributed to Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi, said: "Due to a technical software error, contributions collected on one of our vendor platforms ... were missing one of the fields required by the Campaign Finance Board, and so while we met the thresholds necessary to receive matching funds, the campaign had to remedy this technical matter."

In an email that went out Sunday, subject line "Urgent — Action Required," the campaign urged contributors to "supply certain documentation to ensure that eligible donations qualify for NYC matching funds.

"THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT," the email said urging compliance. "TODAY IF AT ALL POSSIBLE."

Cuomo isn’t the first major candidate to be denied matching funds.

In December, the board denied incumbent Eric Adams matching funds and cited allegations that Adams’ fundraising practices had violated the law and city rules.

It’s the second gaffe this week by Cuomo’s campaign, which was caught having used ChatGPT to help generate a paper spelling out his housing plan, which also included gibberish and misspelling, according to local news outlet Hell Gate.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.