Several canvassers from Curtis Sliwa’s 2025 mayoral campaign say they were promised wages that never arrived, leaving some owed thousands after weeks of door‑to‑door outreach. The campaign maintains all valid payroll claims will be paid after verification by the New York City Campaign Finance Board, with post‑election timesheets to be audited by Dec. 1. The dispute comes despite nearly $7 million raised for the campaign and follows other recent financial controversies involving Sliwa. Republican activists say the allegations damage his populist message and credibility.
Canvassers Allege Curtis Sliwa Left Campaign Workers Unpaid After Mayoral Loss; Campaign Says Payments Are Pending
Several canvassers from Curtis Sliwa’s 2025 mayoral campaign say they were promised wages that never arrived, leaving some owed thousands after weeks of door‑to‑door outreach. The campaign maintains all valid payroll claims will be paid after verification by the New York City Campaign Finance Board, with post‑election timesheets to be audited by Dec. 1. The dispute comes despite nearly $7 million raised for the campaign and follows other recent financial controversies involving Sliwa. Republican activists say the allegations damage his populist message and credibility.
10:19 AM, 11/21/2025Politics
Former mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa is facing new accusations that his 2025 New York City campaign failed to pay canvassers and other hourly staff after the election. Several workers say they were promised wages that never arrived, leaving some owed thousands of dollars after weeks of door‑to‑door outreach and phone banking in the campaign’s closing weeks.
Workers say pay never arrived
Multiple canvassers told reporters they completed shifts and submitted time sheets but have not received promised pay. One former staffer said he is owed roughly $2,000 and described the situation as "disappointing for someone who claimed to run on honesty and reform." Canvasser Alonzo Henderson said he felt misled, arguing that when someone is promised pay, they should receive it — especially from a campaign that touted reform.
"When someone is promised something, you need to live up to that end of the promise — especially when you’re running on reform," — Alonzo Henderson.
Campaign response and verification process
Sliwa’s campaign rejects the claim that workers will go unpaid. A campaign spokesman told reporters that "everyone is going to get paid," explaining that payments require verification by the New York City Campaign Finance Board and that post‑election timesheets must be audited and submitted by Dec. 1 to validate any payments made after Election Day. Sliwa himself said anyone who can produce time sheets will be paid by that date and described the verification as standard protocol.
Money raised and ongoing scrutiny
The dispute has drawn attention in part because the campaign reported substantial fundraising during the race. City campaign records show Sliwa raised nearly $7 million, including significant public matching funds, with roughly $1.7 million reported in cash on hand at the close of the campaign. Sliwa finished third in the Nov. 4 election with about 7% of the vote.
Related financial controversies
The payment allegations have revived interest in other recent financial disputes involving Sliwa. In 2023 his ex‑wife filed suit alleging more than $530,000 in unpaid child support. Separately, public records show a corporation associated with Sliwa had an outstanding state tax warrant for a small amount; the campaign attributed that to an old clerical error related to a dissolved company and said Sliwa has met his personal tax obligations.
Some Republican activists expressed frustration that the pay complaints undermine Sliwa’s populist messaging and reputation as an advocate for ordinary New Yorkers. Prominent conservative backers also criticized his decision to remain in the race past the primary period, saying it may have split the conservative vote.
Where things stand
The campaign says all valid invoices will be paid after the required audits and submissions to the Campaign Finance Board, with remaining account funds and matching payments used to satisfy valid claims. Canvassers and hourly staffers who believe they are owed money should retain time sheets and invoices and follow the campaign’s process for submitting them for verification.