By Sarina Trangle
The city Campaign Finance Board fined mayoral hopeful John Catsimatidis $11,473 for failing to identify himself as the financier of mailings criticizing City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) and submitting false documents to the board during the 2013 election season.
A feud between Ulrich and Catsimatidis over the Queens GOP leadership spilled into the 2013 elections.
Catsimatidis, who lost his bid to run on the Republican line for mayor, poured $14,738.28 into mass mailings that accused Ulrich of saying one thing in the community and voting the opposite way in City Hall.
The supermarket magnet could spend as much as he wanted because the money was classified as an independent expenditure, meaning it was not made with the authorization or in collaboration with the candidate.
But Catsimatidis was required to print a notification identifying who paid for the literature in the mailings because they cost more than $1,000.
The board fined him $1,473 for failing to do so.
It also penalized him $10,000 for intentionally submitting purported copies of the mailing that included this financing notification.
Catsimatidis could not be reached for comment.
Ulrich declined to comment.
