On June 13, the United States Department of Justice’s announcement on the website of the Eastern District of New York Federal Prosecutor’s Office accused former New York State Democratic Assembly candidate Dao Yin of allegedly misreporting campaign donations and fraudulently obtaining $162,800 in New York state public matching funds.
According to the announcement, based on a criminal indictment unsealed in the Brooklyn Federal Court, Dao Yin, a resident of Queens and a 2024 New York State Assembly candidate, was charged with wire fraud for deceiving the New York state public campaign finances by submitting false campaign donation reports to fraudulently obtain matching funds. Dao Yin was arrested on June 13 and appeared in the U.S. District Court on the same day.
The case was jointly announced by Joseph Nocella Jr., the prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York, Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director of the FBI’s New York Office, and Jocelyn E. Strauber, the Director of the New York City Investigation Bureau.
Prosecutor Nocella stated, “The charges allege that the defendant, as a former public office candidate, falsified donation data to community members he wished to represent, with the intent to illegally obtain thousands of dollars in public matching funds he was fundamentally unqualified to receive. Today’s (June 13) arrest demonstrates this office’s commitment to protecting the integrity of elections and holding candidates accountable for violating campaign finance laws.”
Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, said, “The defendant is suspected of stealing over $160,000 in taxpayer funds for campaign activities through lies and deception. Fraud and corruption threaten the fairness of the electoral system and cannot be tolerated. The Department of Justice will continue to prosecute fraudulent activities that undermine U.S. interests and waste public resources.”
FBI Assistant Director Raia added, “Dao Yin is accused of fictitious supporters and illegally obtaining over $160,000 in campaign funds. He is also charged with abusing his position by deceiving to receive matching funds that should have supported other state-level candidates. The FBI will continue to investigate individuals attempting to enter public office through fraudulent means.”
Director Strauber of the Investigation Bureau stated, “According to the indictment, this former assembly candidate manipulated the election finance system by falsifying campaign donations to obtain public funds he should not have received. The Investigation Bureau is collaborating with our enforcement partners at the Federal Prosecutor’s Office and the FBI to uphold the integrity of the campaign finance system and the legitimacy of public funds usage.”
The New York State Public Campaign Finance Board (PCFB) is responsible for managing public matching funds for state elections. The system allows candidates to apply for matching funds by obtaining small donations from district residents.
Candidates participating in the election must register with authorized campaign committees, participate in eligible elections, meet the minimum quantity and amount thresholds for matching donations, and comply with all relevant regulations, such as regularly reporting financial information to the PCFB. Eligible donations generally range from $5 to $250.
Candidates running for the New York State Assembly must raise at least $6,000 in matching donations and have a minimum of 75 eligible donations. For cash donations, donor names, addresses, donation dates, and donor’s signature on the donation card must be provided.
According to the indictment, Dao Yin established the “Dao Yin for New York 2024” campaign committee and served as the finance director to apply for matching funds. To obtain public funds, he submitted forged donation cards to the PCFB through the committee, listing false donors’ names and forged signatures, falsely claiming that these individuals had donated to his committee. Through this scheme, he fraudulently obtained approximately $162,800 in matching funds.
All charges are currently preliminary, and if convicted, he could face up to 20 years in federal prison.
Dao Yin was born and raised in China, immigrated to the United States in 1998, and settled in Queens, New York. Since 2005, he has served as the Secretary-General of the American Shanghai Association and since 2018, he has been the Executive Vice Chairman of the Queens Residents and Voters Alliance.