The campaign treasurer for a failed candidate in the 2021 Brooklyn borough president race pleaded guilty to wire fraud and attempting to steal $400,000 from New York City’s Campaign Finance Board, federal prosecutors announced.
Erlene King could face up to 20 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
During the campaign, King admitted to using straw donors and forged documents in an attempt to qualify for public matching funds from the Campaign Fiance Board (CFB). She also confessed to securing fraudulent donations by using the names of individuals who either did not contribute personally or were reimbursed for their donations. Some of the fraudulent contributions involved stolen identities.
Prosecutors said King used CashApp to send money to intermediaries, instructing them to make donations to the campaign of Anthony Jones, a candidate for Brooklyn borough president.
“Erlene King deprived New York City residents of a fair election by attempting to manipulate hundreds of thousands of dollars in donor contributions to unlawfully favor her candidate,” said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge James Dennehy in a statement. “King abused her position as a campaign treasurer and attempted to profit from exploiting a system designed to represent the voices of the city.”
What is the Matching Funds Program?
The CFB’s matching funds program allows candidates who qualify to receive public funds based on the amount and number of eligible donor contributions. In the 2021 borough president race, candidates needed to raise $50,000 in eligible donations to qualify.
Under the program, candidates could receive up to $8 in matching funds for every $1 of eligible contributions, with a maximum of $175 per donor. For example, a $175 donation would be matched with $1,400 in public funds. The program is intended to boost participation in local elections by encouraging candidates to seek small-dollar contributions from everyday New Yorkers.
“By encouraging candidates to raise small-dollar contributions from average New Yorkers, the program increases engagement between voters and those who seek to represent them,” the CFB said in a statement.
King’s scheme unraveled when the CFB flagged the suspicious donations before disbursing the $400,000.
She was initially charged on Oct. 2, 2024, and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 29, 2025, according to John Marzulli, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Marzulli noted that sentencing guidelines suggest a likely range of 33 to 41 months in prison.
