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Nonprofit Political Group Tied To Bill de Blasio Shutting Down

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is shutting down the nonprofit group that was advancing his political agenda.

Aides to the mayor confirmed Thursday that the group, dubbed the Campaign for One New York, was winding down its operations after growing concerns over the group's donors and spending.

The group was not bound by city campaign finance laws and could accept unlimited contributions from donors and advocated some of de Blasio's key policy pushes like universal pre-k and affordable housing.

The group was not mandated to disclose its donors but did release their names.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the United Federation of Teachers and the labor union 1199SEIU are among several groups to have contributed $100,000 or more to the campaign. The campaign has also raised more than $1 million from several real estate groups, WSJ reported.

WCBS 880 reported in November 2015 that Campaign for One New York funding was used to pay upwards of $2 million to political consultants hired by de Blasio.

Good government groups criticized the organization as contributing to a culture of influence peddling.

One such group called for a probe into de Blasio's organization last month. The mayor defended its practices.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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