NYCLASS was a member of the "Anybody but Quinn" coalition, also known as "NYC is Not For Sale," that played a role in the New York City mayoral elections in 2013 in opposing the candidacy of Christine Quinn. The politician's support began to decline after the coalition's PAC began its efforts, which raised $1.4 million for its initial television ads. NYC Is Not For Sale was the fourth largest independent spender in the New York City Elections, with NYCLASS own spending ranking 16th. The group endorsed Bill de Blasio in the general election. After his win, NYCLASS held a private fundraiser and awarded him a bronze horse. NYCLass also endorsed other candidates such as Helen Rosenthal for City Council. In April 2014, the FBI was investigating NYCLASS for possible threats made against Quinn during the mayoral race. The FBI is looking into whether NYCLASS's tactics crossed the line into extortion. In December of that year, NYCLASS was fined $26,054 by the NYC Campaign Finance Board for illegally coordinating independent expenditures on behalf of two 2013 City Council candidates, and for misrepresenting those expenditures as independent when, in the determination of the CFB, they were not. In August 2017, NYCLASS announced the end of their crusade to ban the carriage horses from Central Park, instead re-focusing their efforts on proposals to improve the horses' working and living conditions. “We achieved nothing, except perhaps created some bad will which we have to address, so obviously our strategy had to change,” said Wendy Neu, a partner behind the effort, adding the group had been too antagonistic.
About NYCLASS
NYCLASS is a 5014 non-profit animal rights organization committed to ending New York City's carriage horse industry. It advocated for retiring the carriage horses to sanctuary, while modernizing the current industry with their alternative - an electric car called "the 21st CenturyHorseless Carriage." The Central Park Conservancy, which manages Central Park, has spoken out against the electric car proposed by NYCLASS. The President and CEO of the Conservancy, Doug Blonsky, stated "40 million people visit Central Park each year, including runners, bicyclists, kids and dog owners. Adding vehicles to the mix will make the park less safe for all of them and increase congestion."
