By Madina Toure
The city Campaign Finance Board has fined Sunny Hahn’s 2013 campaign for City Council on the Republican Party line for committing violations.
At its Nov. 12 meeting, the Campaign Finance Board determined that Hahn’s campaign for the District 20 seat—which represents Flushing, Queensboro Hill, Mitchell Gardens, Auburndale and Whitestone—must pay a $1,550 fine to repay public funds.
Hahn’s campaign was accused of failing to comply with cash receipts reporting and documentation requests as well as subcontractor reporting documentation requirements, failing to document transactions, failing to demonstrate that spending was for the campaign and responding late to initial documentation requests.
She received $23,100 in public funds, according to the board.
Hahn was disqualified from the ballot because the city Board of Elections ruled that more than two-thirds of her signatures from registered Republicans were for another candidate or were not from the district for which she was running.
Hahn criticized the way in which the Campaign Finance Board operates, saying she is innocent and that it is hard to run for City Council with limited financial resources.
She said she could not qualify for public matching funds because her treasurer did not submit her donations on time. “He screwed my campaign finance badly,” she said in an interview.
She also said that she fired her first campaign manager.
Hahn said that she is also dealing with two political operatives, whom she said have been threatening her and victimizing her. “It’s over,” she said. “I went to the DA’s office three times in 2013 to punish that guy but I couldn’t. They wouldn’t take the case.”
Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtour
