Managed by Hochul: Mayor Eric Adams is fighting five federal charges of fraud and bribery, leaving it up to Gov. Kathy Hochul to handle the delicate situation.
Mr. Hochul publicly and privately sent telegrams to Mr. Adams urging him to sever ties with people in his administration who are under legal scrutiny.
This week, Adams’ senior aide, Tim Pearson, resigned. School Principal David Banks, whose cell phone was seized in an FBI raid in September, will retire earlier than expected.
Adams told reporters. This morning’s new departure date for Banks was also meant to solidify the footing for the next prime minister, Melissa Aviles-Ramos. But he also acknowledged that these discussions took place after speaking with fellow leaders.
“One of the things that my team has said, and I’ve said in conversations with other leaders, is that this is a really stable time, and having Melissa and David there at the same time is something that I “It didn’t provide the stability that we wanted,” he said.
Mr. Hochul has developed a strong public relationship with Mr. Adams over the past three years. Both the governor and the mayor are in sharp contrast to the infamous feuds involving their predecessors, including Andrew Cuomo and Bill de Blasio, George Pataki and Rudy Giuliani, and Mario Cuomo and Ed Koch. We have cultivated the awareness that we are working well together.
But Hochul, who has the power to remove Adams from office, is not afraid to use his influence amid growing concerns about the city’s governance.
Hochul told reporters Wednesday that he is working with Adams to ensure that key positions are filled by “responsible” people.
“We expect change, it’s no secret,” she said. “And things are beginning to change.”
Hochul, the first person from Western New York to serve as governor in 100 years, has become more immersed in New York politics since becoming a statewide official in 2015, according to people familiar with him.
“She’s very focused on the entire state at this point,” said Jack O’Donnell, a political consultant and lobbyist. “New York City was a big focus of her housing plan. She’s learning how to navigate politics as well as the city’s governance issues.”
Some good government supporters hope she goes further.
“She’s not cleaning the house; she’s saying you should clean your stoop every now and then,” said John Kaney, executive director of Reinvent Albany. “This is not very aggressive.” — Nick Riesman
Restraining Gibbs: State Rep. Eddie Gibbs was arrested by New York City police in the East Harlem area on Thursday and taken into custody, Politico reported, according to witnesses.
Gibbs’ brother was pulled over for having an unregistered car, two people who spoke with New York City police officials said. The deputy was also a passenger in the car and had a heated conversation with officers, who arrested him and issued him a summons.
Frederick Thomas, a security guard with the New York City Housing Authority, said nearly a dozen police cars responded to the incident on Lexington Avenue, just outside the James Weldon Johnson Community Center. Officers from the Strategic Response Group patted Gibbs down, handcuffed him and drove him from the scene.
Three other witnesses confirmed Gibbs’ arrest to POLITICO. it was First reported by the New York Post.
Calls to Ms. Gibbs and her office were not returned, and the New York City Department of Warnings and Highways said it had no information about the incident. Gibbs’ district office was closed Thursday. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office did not respond to a request for comment.
Gibbs is a close ally of Mayor Adams on the council, whose administration is embroiled in a criminal investigation. There was no indication that Gibbs’ arrest was related. — Jeff Coltin
Don’t look at me, look at him: Outgoing School Chancellor Banks said Thursday that Mayor Adams forced his early resignation, exposing a rift between longtime friends as a federal investigation surrounds his administration. POLITICO Pro Report.
Banks acknowledged Wednesday night, in his first public remarks since City Hall announced he would step down in mid-October, three months earlier than planned, that he has no intention of resigning so soon.
After months of conflict with the mayor became public, the prime minister issued a statement through the public relations firm he hired, TASC Group, rather than through the Ministry of Education. In his statement, he said he would remain in command for two more weeks.
“Last week, I announced my plans to retire. I am ready and happy to remain in my post until December 31st to ensure responsible transition of staff,” Banks said. he said. “The Mayor has decided to accelerate that timeline, and my focus is on supporting the next Chancellor as she assumes this new role and continues the great work she has started in New York City Public Schools.”
Spokespeople for the DOE and City Hall did not respond to requests for comment on why the bank issued the statement through the company.
When asked if he was still Mr. Banks’s spokesperson, DOE spokesman Nathaniel Stair said, “I am the spokesperson for New York City Public Schools.” — Madina Thule
Another inner circle searched: Jesse Hamilton, a longtime political ally of Adams and the city’s top real estate portfolio manager, had his cellphone seized by criminal investigators Friday, two people familiar with the situation said. POLITICO reported that this was revealed.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office sent Mr. Hamilton’s cellphone to JFK after he returned from vacation to Japan with Mr. Adams’ chief adviser Ingrid Lewis Martin, two people who spoke to Politico on condition of anonymity said. He said he received it at the airport.
Hamilton, a former state senator, also joins a growing list of high-ranking Adams appointees caught up in the criminal investigations swirling around City Hall.
The seizure is The Daily News first reportedEmployees of commercial real estate brokerage firm Cushman & Wakefield were also on the trip, the report said. Cushman’s vice chairman, Diana Boutros, also has ties to Lewis Martin, according to a POLITICO review. — Joe Anuta
In other news
— Blackface roller: Representative Mike Lawler wore blackface as part of his Halloween costume nearly 20 years ago when he was in college, according to photos. (new york times)
— NY-17 Voting Battle: Democratic supporters of former Rep. Mondaire Jones filed an eleventh-hour lawsuit to remove the “spoiler” Working Families Party candidate from the ballot. (new york post)
— Practice “respectful” speech: As New York City college campuses prepare for protests to mark the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 Israeli attack, administrators are hosting events modeled on “respectful and open dialogue.” (gothamist)
Did you miss this morning’s New York Playbook? Forgive me. read here.
