New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio will return $32,200 in campaign donations amid a federal probe into potential ethics violations during his 2013 mayoral election.
De Blasio campaign spokesman Dan Levitan confirmed to the New York Post Tuesday that the mayor would refund the contributions to seven donors "as soon as feasible."
"The campaign holds itself to the highest legal and ethical standards, and in light of the questions raised about these contributions has elected to return them," Levitan said.
City records show that the seven donors, including two of de Blasio’s drivers, three of his associates, and the owner of a Queens-based Primary One beauty products company, each gave $5,000 to his campaign on Oct. 21, 2013.
A week later, another employee at Primary One contributed $2,500 to de Blasio.
Campaign finance limits cap donations at $4,950, leading the de Blasio campaign to immediately return $50 to each contributor.
The New York Post reported:
The timing of the Primary One donations, the fact that they all exceeded the limit by the same amount, and the working-class jobs held by donors giving thousands of dollars have raised red flags.
Federal campaign law bars contributors from making donations in someone else’s name.
Following the 2013 election, six other Primary One employees gave $4,500 each to de Blasio’s transition committee. Levitan said $27,000 could not be returned since the committee no longer exists.
In April, the U.S. attorney’s office announced it was investigating potentially illegal campaign donations given to de Blasio in exchange for an official act.
De Blasio said that his administration abided by the law and has maintained that he would be cleared of misconduct.
A Quinnipiac University poll released last week found that the majority of New York City voters do not believe de Blasio should be reelected in November.