New York City's Campaign Finance Board has fined animal rights group NYCLASS for spending violations that took place during the 2013 election cycle. The group is fighting to ban horse carriages from city streets.

The violations involved mailers that NYCLASS funded for city council candidates Laurie Cumbo and Mark Levine. The mailings reportedly cost $7,800 and $8,800. New York City limits the total amount city council candidates may accept from a single contributor to $2,750. But for NYCLASS, there is another snafu; city campaign finance laws prohibit candidates from taking contributions from corporations.

The board determined that NYCLASS coordinated spending with these candidates through its consultant The Advance Group, which was also the campaign consultant for Cumbo and Levine's campaigns. NYCLASS has reported $554,000 in contributions.

The board assessed penalties totaling $26,054 for those violations. It's the largest fine the CFB has for levied for independent spenders in the 2013 elections.

"These are very serious and severe penalties. They are very severe because there were very serious violations by NYCLASS," said board member Richard Davis.

The group blames its consultant for the illegal behavior.

"NYCLASS is the victim of the actions of its agent [The Advance Group]," NYCLASS attorney Randy Mastro said in a statement.

The Advance Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but in published reports has focused blame back on its client, NYCLASS.

This is the second fine NYClass has had to pay for violations of the city's campaign finance rules. The first penalty of $1,560 was issued in 2013 for failure to use a "paid for by" notice while making phone calls to voters.

The penalty is due to the CFB no later than Jan. 12, 2015.