Erlene King, a campaign treasurer involved in the 2021 election cycle for a little-known Brooklyn Borough President candidate, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in federal court in Brooklyn on Tuesday.
King, 71, who admitted to orchestrating a scheme to fraudulently obtain funds from New York City’s Campaign Finance Board matching funds program, faces up to 20 years in prison, according to a press release. King was raising funds for Anthony Jones, according to the New York Times.
The CFB program provides public funds to candidates who meet fundraising thresholds, matching up to $8 for every $1 in eligible contributions, capped at $175 per donor. For Brooklyn Borough President candidates, successful campaigns could receive over $1.4 million in public matching funds.
King’s scheme involved using straw donors and stolen identities to create fictitious contributions. She directed intermediaries to distribute funds through CashApp to reimburse straw donors and submitted fraudulent records to the CFB. The board ultimately identified the fraudulent activities and withheld matching funds from Jones' campaign.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace and James E. Dennehy, assistant director in charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office.
“Instead of playing by the rules New York City established for free and fair elections, the defendant attempted to use the city’s matching funds program to give the campaign an unfair advantage,” said Peace.
The FBI emphasized its commitment to safeguarding democratic processes.
“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 Dennehy. “King abused her position as a campaign treasurer and attempted to profit from exploiting a system designed to represent the voices of the city. The FBI remains steadfast in its mission to eliminate any source of corruption polluting our city’s democratic processes.”
King is scheduled for sentencing before U.S. District Judge Carol Bagley Amon on April 29.
