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Are you concerned about campaigns improperly coordinating with political action committees? [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-05-20
Andrew Cuomo has found himself at the center of a campaign finance controversy involving a practice known as redboxing. Cuomo’s campaign was recently penalized over $600,000 by the NYC Campaign Finance Board for allegedly coordinating with a super PAC. Coordination between campaigns and PACs are a major violation of local campaign rules. The controversy surrounds a page on Cuomo’s campaign website titled “Message for Voters,” which included detailed instructions and suggested messaging that closely matched the ads run by a pro-Cuomo super PAC called Fix the City. Though Cuomo’s team insists the page was legal and reviewed by their lawyers, critics argue it’s a thinly veiled attempt to dodge coordination rules meant to prevent exactly this kind of influence.
Redboxing refers to the practice of campaigns posting coded messages, often literally in red boxes, on their websites that are meant to guide super PACs on what ads to run, what messages to amplify, and which voter demographics to target. While these instructions are technically public, they are rarely meant for everyday voters. Instead, they serve as playbooks for “independent” political action committees that can raise and spend unlimited funds. Under current federal law, super PACs can’t coordinate directly with candidates, but redboxing exploits a gray area by posting guidance in plain sight. Local laws, like those in NYC, do prohibit this kind of behavior, which is why Cuomo was penalized.
Supporters of the practice argue it’s just smart campaigning. They see it as a way for candidates to stay on message and maximize support from outside groups. It also raises the question of how to determine what is redboxing and what is just campaign messaging. But others see redboxing as a dangerous loophole that undermines the intent of campaign finance laws. Is this just savvy political strategy, or is it a deliberate evasion of the rules? When candidates post “voters need to see this on TV” or provide clips ready-made for ads, it’s hard not to see it as an invitation for coordinated influence without accountability. When super PACs spend millions based on that messaging, it creates a system where big money can shape elections while technically staying “independent.”
And ultimately, this affects voters the most. When campaigns quietly hand over negative messaging or demographic targeting to supposedly independent groups, it muddies the waters of transparency. Voters don’t know whether a message comes from a candidate or from a billionaire-funded committee with its own agenda. Worse, it creates an uneven playing field where candidates backed by wealthy interests can flood the airwaves with unlimited support, while others remain bound by donation caps and finance regulations. This weakens the integrity of elections and dilutes the voice of everyday people. Are you concerned about campaigns improperly coordinating with political action committees?
Watch the discussion on this episode of Nuance.
Additional;
What is Red Boxing in NYC Elections?
Andrew Cuomo is whispering to his super PAC
Voters Need to Know What “Redboxing” Is and How It Undermines Democracy
Andrew Cuomo penalized $622K in NYC mayor's race for coordinating with big-money group
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