The state Republican Party is calling for an investigation into Democratic Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s “clear-cut violation” of public finance rules in mixing campaign funds and City Hall resources for a private “electeds of color” holiday party.

The mayor’s office, however, vehemently denied assertions of wrongdoing in the matter, saying that the event was not a fundraiser and was paid for, as allowed, by campaign and political finance law.

The MassGOP cited a public records request initiated by the Herald, which revealed a series of emails showing that while the mayor used campaign funds to pay for last year’s exclusive holiday party, city resources were also used. Officials from her administration were responsible for planning the event, which was held at the city-owned Parkman House.

A so-called co-mingling of public and campaign funds for the Dec. 13 event — which caught national attention after the Herald first reported an email from a City Hall staffer that invited, then later disinvited white members of the Boston City Council — “appears to be a clear-cut violation of Office of Political and Campaign Finance regulations,” the MassGOP said in a Wednesday statement.

The party further explained that campaign finance regulations prohibit elected officials from leveraging public resources for campaign endeavors, which, it asserts, the holiday party became when the mayor opted to dip into her $1.4 million campaign war chest to pay the tab.

“The public records request revealed that the mayor’s ‘electeds of color’ event was funded through her campaign account, thereby making the event itself a campaign event,” MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale said in a statement. “The undisputed fact that Boston City Hall staff were actively involved in promoting this event during work hours is a clear violation of OCPF rules.

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“Taxpayers deserve to know how often members of the mayor’s staff are working on behalf of Mayor Wu’s self-interests,” she added. “The discovery begs the question of whether there are other instances of violations. The mayor’s blatant disregard for public finance rules warrants an investigation into her actions.”

A long-time political consultant who requested anonymity was not as convinced, however, stating, “I think this is fine. It feels equivalent to state legislators using campaign funds for food during budget week.”

The Herald reported the public records released by the city Wednesday, along with more than $17,000 in holiday party-related campaign expenditures listed on her OCPF account between November, when City Hall staffers began planning the “electeds of color” event, and December, when it was held.

More than 500 pages of emails revealed that the mayor’s intergovernmental relations department, which sent the mistaken invite email that went viral, helped to plan the event — largely discussing food, invites and scheduling — during work hours using official city email accounts, which one city watchdog says is where the problem lies.

The situation could lead to a potential state ethics violation or the involvement of the Attorney General’s office if a complaint were to be filed, Matthew Cahill, executive director of the Boston Finance Commission, told the Herald.

“She can do whatever she wants with her campaign funds,” Cahill said. “What she can’t use is the city resources. So they can’t be at work during the day at City Hall. They can’t be using City Hall emails, those types of things. Those have to be accounted for.”

Boston taxpayers pay for city email, Cahill said, which is not supposed to be used for anything other than city business.

“That’s really what it comes down to,” he said. “If it exists, it’s probably just people trying to get things done expeditiously, that are a little lazy and they’re using city time and city emails. I think you’ve got to be careful about that stuff when you’re a municipal employee.”

An OCPF spokesperson declined to comment on MassGOP’s call for that office to conduct an investigation into the matter.

The Attorney General’s office previously rejected four complaints, deeming that the exclusive bash at the city-owned Parkman House did not appear to violate the public accommodation law — which prohibits discrimination in public places — since it was not open to the public.

A spokesperson for Mayor Wu denied assertions of financial wrongdoing, saying in a statement, “This holiday party was not a fundraiser. Committee funds were used, as allowed, to cover event expenses.”

Her office stated that Wu hosted the annual “electeds of color” holiday party in her official capacity as mayor, and it was not a campaign event. None of the elected officials in attendance raised funds or solicited donations at the venue.

“While city funds may never be used for campaign purposes, there is no limitation on the use of campaign funds to supplement official events when the mayor deems it appropriate to prevent taxpayers funds from being spent,” Wu’s office said.

“While city buildings such as the Parkman House may not be the site of political fundraisers,” her office continued, “there is no limitation on campaign funds being used to subsidize non-campaign events at these venues.”

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. (Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)