Context:

Andrew Cuomo is facing scrutiny for potentially violating New York City's campaign finance rules by using a practice known as 'red-boxing' on his campaign website to communicate indirectly with the super PAC, Fix the City, which supports his mayoral bid. This practice involves posting strategic information in a visible but non-direct manner, which allows super PACs to align their activities without direct communication. The New York City rules, updated recently to target such practices, could lead to significant penalties for Cuomo, including the loss of millions in public matching funds if found guilty. Although the Campaign Finance Board has issued warnings to all campaigns, they have not specifically targeted Cuomo yet, and his lawyer claims there is no evidence of any super PAC acting on his campaign's webpage directions. Despite denials of wrongdoing, there is notable similarity between Cuomo's outlined strategies and the super PAC's recent advertisements, prompting calls for a formal investigation by his political opponents.

Dive Deeper:

• Andrew Cuomo's campaign may have breached New York City's campaign finance regulations by employing 'red-boxing', a tactic where candidates post strategic information publicly for super PACs to see, circumventing direct communication laws.

• Cuomo's campaign website featured a 'message for voters' that contained detailed instructions resembling campaign strategies, such as polling data, video clips, and specific voter outreach plans, which closely matched ads aired by Fix the City, his supporting super PAC.

• New York City recently adopted new rules to ban practices like red-boxing, and if proven that Cuomo's campaign and the super PAC coordinated, he could face penalties and lose public matching funds.

• While the Campaign Finance Board reminded candidates about the new rules, they have not yet specifically targeted Cuomo, and his attorney claims no independent expenditure has acted on the posted information, suggesting no violation occurred.

• Despite the denials, State Senator Zellnor Myrie, one of Cuomo's opponents, has requested a formal investigation, highlighting the overlap between Cuomo's campaign messages and the super PAC's advertisements as potentially illegal coordination.

• Fix the City, run by a former Cuomo aide, has raised significant funds from real estate developers and spent millions on ads supporting Cuomo, adding to concerns about the legality of their coordination.

• The controversy arises amidst additional challenges for Cuomo's campaign, including previously denied matching funds due to incomplete paperwork, which adds pressure on his mayoral bid.