By Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman, via POLITICO
New York Minute: City of Yes is going to hear a lot of nos. The New York City
Planning Commission is holding a public hearing today at 10 a.m. on the plan to
change regulations to “build a little more housing in every neighborhood.”
A Mayor Eric Adams’ legacy project, the zoning blueprint has faced aggressive
opposition. This is one step of a long process where New Yorkers can voice their
grievances — and support.
Striving for a Better New York’s website says the PAC “seeks to actively support
and contribute to candidates for New York State offices who give a voice to the
issues that impact the lives of everyday New Yorkers.”
But it has given $1,000 to a candidate for mayor of Baton Rouge, Louisiana,
$1,000 to a candidate for county prosecutor in Kansas City, Missouri, and $2,500
to a candidate for controller in Houston, Texas.
All told, the committee has donated $15,000 to 11 candidates running far outside
New York over the last year and a half, according to the latest campaign finance
filings with the state Board of Elections.
The candidates ranged from Memphis mayor to U.S. Senate. All of them, like
Cockfield, are Black.
After an aggressive fundraising start in 2021, the PAC hasn’t raised a dime in
more than two years and has been slowly spending down the haul. It had
reported a balance of nearly $215,000 as of last month.
“Generally, I support candidates both in New York and outside of New York,”
Cockfield said in a brief phone call. “All politics is local.”
The politically connected pastor, school leader and government consultant did
not respond to a detailed list of questions about how he runs the PAC, and his
relationship with Adams.
Five campaign finance experts said Cockfield doesn’t seem to be violating any
rules with the contributions. But the surprising donations raise further questions
about a PAC that Cockfield has been accused of using as a vehicle to personally
benefit himself.
The PAC was scrutinized by the New York Times in 2022 for its generous
payments to Cockfield himself, a $60,000 donation to a charter school he
founded and runs, and money spent at trendy hotels and nightclubs.
The state Board of Elections opened a case but closed it without penalizing him
after Cockfield made some refunds.
Since then, he’s greatly reduced the PAC’s non-political spending. Cockfield has
not reported paying himself his previous $7,173-per-month salary since
December 2022.
Despite the out-of-state contributions, the vast majority of the Striving for a
Better New York’s donations have gone to New York candidates — almost all of
them Black incumbents, such as Rep. Greg Meeks, Attorney General Tish James
and Assembly Members Brian Cunningham, Stefani Zinerman and Nikki Lucas.
Adams’ team has distanced the mayor from the PAC after he helped fundraise.
“I 100 percent do not work with him,” mayoral political adviser Ingrid
Lewis-Martin told Playbook, adding she was “unaware” of the PAC’s spending. —
Jeff Coltin
