Councilmember Vincent Gentile’s successful re-election campaign in 2013 committed a series of campaign finance violations that were serious enough for the city to level fines against the Bay Ridge lawmaker, according to a report in the New York Observer.
The New York City Campaign Finance Board enacted fines totaling $10,855 against Gentile stemming from violations found in the campaign that took in 2013. In that race, Gentile (D-Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights-Bensonhurst) easily defeated Republican John Quaglione.
The largest fine, $7,754, was leveled against Gentile for exceeding the spending limit for candidates taking part in public funding for campaigns, according to the Observer.
The fines were announced the New York City Campaign Finance Board on Aug. 9.
The city’s campaign finance system imposes limits on what a candidate can spend on a political campaign. In 2013, the year Gentile was running for re-election, the limit for City Council candidates was $168,000. Gentile’s campaign spent $5,169.64 more than the allowable amount, according to the Observer, which cited figures from the Campaign Finance Board.
Gentile was also hit with fines for accepting over-the-limit contributions and accepting contributions from unregistered political action committees.
Gentile’s spokesman, Travis Lamprecht, blamed it on an accounting error. “Councilmember Gentile incurred these fines as a result of an accounting oversight. He will pay the fines in a timely and appropriate manner,” the Observer quoted him as saying.
Gentile, who is term-limited, is scheduled to leave office at the end of 2017. He was first elected to the council in a special election in March of 2003 and is currently the longest serving member of the council.
