Election Law Complaint Filed Against Rochester Mayor

Gotham Gazette reports that a potential challenger to Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren (D) has filed a complaint against her with the Chief Enforcement Counsel at the State Board of Elections.

The complaint, which is dated April 12, 2017, alleges that Mayor Warren is improperly using a political action committee she founded in 2015 (Warren for a Strong Rochester PAC) to help finance her 2017 re-election campaign, the costs of which should be borne by her candidate committee (Friends of Lovely Warren).  The complaint states:

“Upon information and belief, the two organizations maintain common operational control with the same individuals exercising actual and strategic control over the day to day activities of both organizations. Both of the organizations are authorized by the same candidate operating in the same election cycle. It is fair to assume that the two entities are, therefore, created with the intended purpose of ensuring Lovely Warren’s efforts to become re-elected as Mayor of the City of Rochester.”

If this is true, then it may pose a problem for Mayor Warren because a candidate can only have one authorized political committee.

It is not clear that the Chief Enforcement Counsel is investigating this matter, but it should serve as a reminder to all political contributors that there is more and more scrutiny – both in the press and by state regulators – of political spending and related activities.