New York, NY —

Democratic mayoral hopeful Gifford Miller could face cuts in his public campaign funds on the eve of Tuesday's primary.

To get matching funds, candidates are limited in what they can spend and must account for all spending. Money used to gather signatures -- about a million dollars in Miller's case -- usually is exempt from those limits. But in a ruling issued last night, the Campaign Finance Board said that Miller's campaign handed out flyers while collecting signatures, turning those efforts into campaign activities. It also said the signature drive continued too close to Tuesday's Primary. The campaign has reportedly gathered more signatures than any other candidate and far more than election laws require. The board asked Miller's campaign to clarify the money spent, and a final ruling could come on Friday. Miller was criticized earlier in the campaign for spending 1.6 million dollars in taxpayer money for other flyers prominently featuring him. For WNYC, I'm Collin Campbell.