Thompson Fails Crucial Money Test

Comptroller already being outspent by Mayor

Bill Thompson is going up against a billionaire in the race for mayor, and he can't even raise a few million.

The comptroller has failed to qualify for the first round of coveted campaign matching dollars, according to the NYC Campaign Finance Board.

That means when the first payments go out today, Thompson's campaign will not receive a check for 1.5 million dollars.

CFB spokesman Eric Friedman said Thompson was unable to document that he had raised the $250,000 in small donations needed to qualify for this round of matching dollars. But Friedman said it was likely Thompson would receive the money in the next round, due on August 20th. The CFB matches individual contributions of up to 175 dollars at a rate of 6 to 1.

"I have all the confidence in the world that he will ultimately qualify for matching funds," said Thompson. "It's really about the timing."

With or without matching dollars in the primary, Thompson would be exponentially outspent by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a general election.  And missing this critical monetary benchmark might be seen as a sign of weakness as his campaign seeks to ramp up.

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