NYC Campaign Finance Board Votes on Enforcement Matters for Four Campaigns

01/16/2020

At today's public meeting, the NYC Campaign Finance Board (CFB) determined that four campaigns from the 2017 election cycle committed violations and assessed penalties for those violations. The Board also determined that one campaign must repay public funds and dismissed complaints against two. Refer to the tables below for details on these determinations. Video from the meeting is available at nyccfb.info/live.

In addition to these deliberations, the Board issued a supplemental advisory opinion (Advisory Opinion 2020-1) modifying CFB Advisory Opinion 2016-1 which states that certain expenditures made by noncampaign entities affiliated with a candidate will be presumed to be campaign expenditures if made on or after January 1 in the election year. In 2019, the primary election date for city elections was rescheduled from September to June. As such, the supplemental advisory opinion modifies the cutoff date for such expenditures made by noncampaign entities to July 15 in the year preceding the election.
 

 
Violations and Penalties
(for details, follow the link in the Total Penalties column)
Candidate (Election Cycle) Office Violation Penalty Total Penalties

Justin Brannan
(2017)

Treasurer:
Melissa Bertoncini

Public Funds Received: $200,200
 		 City Council
(District #43)		 1. Failing to report transactions in daily pre-election disclosure statements $250 $1,956
2. Accepting over-the-limit doing business contributions $437
3. Making impermissible post-election expenditures $153
4. Exceeding the expenditure limit $1,116
 
Candidate (Election Cycle) Office Violation Penalty Total Penalties

Mark Gjonaj
(2017)

Treasurer:
Vilma Jankovic

Public Funds Received: $0
 		 City Council
(District #13)		 1. Failing to report transactions in daily pre-election disclosure statements $300 $1,356
2. Late reporting of transactions in daily pre-election disclosure statements Violation;
No Penalty
3. Failing to document transactions $806
4. Accepting a contribution from a limited liability company $250
 
Candidate (Election Cycle) Office Violation Penalty Total Penalties
 
Christine Parker
(2017)

Treasurer:
Inola M. McGuire

Public Funds Received: $0
 		 City Council
(District # 35)		 1. Failing to demonstrate compliance with cash receipts reporting and documentation requirements $83 $1,483
2. Failing to document transactions $100
3. Failing to report and document basic campaign functions $500
4. Accepting contributions from corporations, limited liability companies, or partnerships $800
5. Making cash expenditures greater than $100 Violation;
No Penalty
 
Candidate (Election Cycle) Office Violation Penalty Total Penalties

Hettie Powell
(2017)

Treasurer:
Darius George

Public Funds Received: $100,100
 		 City Council
(District #28)		 1. Failing to report transactions in daily pre-election disclosure statements $250 $550
2. Failing to document a transaction $50
3. Accepting a contribution from an unregistered political committee  $250


Public Funds Repayment
Candidate
(Election Cycle)		 Office Public Funds
Repayment

Justin Brannan
(2017)

Public Funds Received:
$200,200
 		 City Council
(District #4)		 $442.24*
*Represents the campaign's remaining bank balance.