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New York Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg scored comp tickets to 17 swanky galas last year, many by lefty groups
Soft-on-crime Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg was comped free tickets worth at least $9,400 combined to attend 17 swanky black tie-affairs and other galas last year — most of them put on by lefty groups doing business with the city, The Post has learned. Fourteen of the 17 freebies were dished out by nonprofits and other organizations with city contracts — and more than half ranged from $1,000 to nearly $5,000 in value, including some attended by music and sports industry celebs, according to a review of Bragg's yearly financial disclosure filings with the city's Conflicts of Interest Board. They included: The NYC Police Foundation's June 6 gala at the Intrepid Museum in Manhattan where tickets ran at least $2,500 each, and Giants Super Bowl MVP Phil Simms attended. A event also held June 6 for Brooklyn-based Center for Alternatives Sentencing and Employment Services, who provided Bragg tickets worth $50 to $999 in value. The three events Bragg attended that were not thrown by groups with city business included the April 10 'Keepers of the Dream' gala for Rev. Al Sharpton's civil rights group National Action Network, which holds plenty of clout with New York Democratic pols. The DA valued his ducats being worth anywhere from $1,000 to nearly $5,000. 4 Soft-on-crime Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg attended 17 swanky galas and other predominately $1,000-plus-per plate black tie-affairs last year with mostly groups pushing anti-jail and other lefty causes picking up the hefty tab, The Post has learned. WireImage Bragg — a Democrat who's has been slammed by critics since taking over as DA in 2022 for villainizing victims while going easy on suspects — reported his ticket totals were worth in the range of $9,400 to nearly $53,000. 4 Many of Bragg's comped tickets blur the lines of potential conflicts of interest because as Manhattan's lead prosecutor he should avoid schmoozing with groups pushing a woke social justice agenda, critics said. Bragg, seen here in the black suit, at an event. ManhattanDA/ X By comparison, Bronx DA Darcel Clark reported attending 10 events last year as gifts worth a combined $1,400 to nearly $13,000; Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez reported attending seven valued at combined $2,260; and Queens DA Melinda Katz and Staten Island DA Michael McMahon reported no such freebies. 4 Bragg, seen here shaking hands with Gov. Hochul, reported the value of the free tickets he was given to attend 17 galas last year as $9,400 to nearly $53,000 combined. ManhattanDA/ X Many of Bragg's comped tickets blur the lines of potential conflicts of interest because as Manhattan's lead prosecutor he should avoid schmoozing with groups pushing a woke social justice agenda, critics said. And Bragg 'should know better' than to 'accept complimentary gifts from businesses that do business with the city,' said Republican Maud Maron, a former Legal Aid Society attorney running against Bragg for Manhattan DA. 4 Bragg, fourth from left in the rear, poses with Gov. Hochul, actor Robert De Niro, Rev. Al Sharpton and other attendees at a National Action Network gala in 2023. Bragg did not report being comped to attend the event in his financial disclosure statements, but he did so for another NAN event in 2024. Alamy Stock Photo 'Of course he spends his free time rubbing shoulders with the moneyed elite whose luxury beliefs let them feel good about themselves while imposing steep costs on everyday New Yorkers who can't buy their way out of crime and grime,' she said. Bragg didn't list attending any events as free gifts in his previous financial disclosure statements for 2022 and 2023. 'Instead of focusing on making our streets safer, DA Bragg has focused on hobnobbing with special interests at glitzy events,' said Diana Florence, a veteran prosecutor running as an independent against him in November's general election. 'Since day one, he has pursued a social experiment that's made our city more hospitable for criminals and less safe for everyone else. Enough is enough.' Bragg spokesperson Danielle Filson said the DA 'fully disclosed his support and attended events for victims of domestic violence, NAN, the NYC Police Foundation … and other civic, charitable and community organizations whose work is relevant to the office – just like his predecessors and fellow DAs.' 'This is nothing but a pathetic attempt to smear Bragg's strong record of keeping Manhattan safe to score cheap political points,' she said of his critics.
New York Post
23-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Mayor Adams expected to hold re-election campaign kickoff event Thursday: ‘Major announcement'
Mayor Eric Adams is expected to hold a re-election campaign kickoff event Thursday, two days after the city's Democratic mayoral primaries close. Hizzoner will make a 'major announcement about the future of his re-election campaign' at the event, according to sources from his campaign. The announcement will be held on the steps of City Hall at noon and will include 'hundreds' of supporters, sources said. Mayor Eric Adams is holding an event for a 'major announcement' about his re-election bid on Thursday William Farrington Adams, 64, will be running for re-election as an independent following a tumultuous year in office, which saw him accused of corruption before the historic case was dropped by the Trump administration. He blamed the long duration of the 'bogus' case for tanking any hopes of campaigning for the primary and still insists he is a Democrat, but has been indicating a split from the party for several months. The city's Democratic primary will close Tuesday, with former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Democratic socialist Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani battling out for the nomination amidst a large field of contenders. Adams is running on the line 'safe streets, affordable city,' arguing that those are the two areas New Yorkers are most concerned about. 'Those are the issues that are important to New Yorkers,' Adams told 1010Wins in April. 'They want a safe city. They want an affordable city. And I want them to know that is what I produced for them.' An Adams aide also may have violated city laws while publicizing the Thursday event after they blasted out a message promoting it from their government email, the Daily News reported. Local law prohibits city employees from using municipal resources for 'political activity,' the city's Conflicts of Interest Board states. The aide later told the Daily News they 'accidentally' sent the message from the wrong email account while multitasking.
New York Post
16-06-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Andrew Cuomo hit with ethics complaint for failing to disclose $2.6M in nuclear stock options
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been hit with an ethics complaint for failing to disclose his more than $2.6 million worth of stock options in an advanced nuclear technology company before launching his mayoral campaign. The conservative watchdog group Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust is demanding that the city's Conflicts of Interest Board investigate Cuomo to determine 'if he intentionally violated New York City's disclosure laws and enforce any appropriate penalties.' 'One of the most basic and fundamental ethics laws applicable to candidates and elected officials requires them to publicly disclose their financial interests,' FACT Executive Director Kendra Arnold wrote in a Monday letter to the COIB obtained by The Post. 'Unfortunately, it is this essential law that appears to have been violated by mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo when he failed to fully disclose his financial interest in a company named Nano Nuclear Energy.' 3 Andrew Cuomo has faced pressure to release more information about his firm, Innovation Strategies' clients. Kevin C Downs forThe New York Post Cuomo's team amended his disclosure forms to detail the stock options on the same day a May 2 Politico report shed light on the previously undisclosed holdings in Nano Nuclear Energy, which touts its status as the first publicly listed nuclear microreactor company in the US. 'The goal of the City's Annual Disclosure Law is to have accurate and complete reporting by filers,' Carolyn Miller, executive director of the COIB, told The Post in response to questions about how the panel handles situations where candidates make amendments after media reporting. 'Amendments to annual disclosure reports to increase their accuracy and completeness are encouraged by the Conflicts of Interest Board.' Cuomo's spokesman, Rich Azzopardi, slammed the ethics complaint as a political hit job, noting that the campaign filed amended disclosure forms that divulged the stock options. 3 Nano Nuclear Energy is headquartered in Tennessee. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images 'These craven right wing nut jobs look stupid and should have done their due diligence before trying to grab a cheap headline,' Azzopardi railed. 'This was always publicly available information that had been filed with the Feds for a year,' he said, referring to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filings. 'We said a month ago we'd consult with the board and make amendments as needed and that's exactly what we did.' The Big Apple mayoral hopeful landed a spot on Nano Nuclear's advisory board in March 2024 and his firm was subsequently given 125,000 in stock options for $3 a share that May, according to annual security filings. At the time of Politico's report, Nano Nuclear shares were trading around $24, so the holdings were worth an estimated $2.6 million. On Monday morning, the firm's shares were trading around $35, bringing that value up to around $4.37 million. Internally, the campaign wasn't clear whether it needed to disclose the filings to the COIB because the shares were held through Cuomo's limited liability company (LLC), Innovation Strategies, Politico reported. Innovation Strategies is a consulting firm that Cuomo started in April 2022, roughly eight months after he resigned as governor in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal, state business records indicate. The mayoral candidate's disclosures indicate that he has pocketed north of $500,000 from the consulting firm. Cuomo has faced pressure to divulge the firm's client list, but has declined to do so. 3 Andrew Cuomo is widely seen as the frontrunner in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary. Kevin C Downs forThe New York Post Cuomo's personal net worth is estimated to be hovering around $3.4 million, according to disclosures. The thrice-elected Democrat crossed paths with Nano Nuclear's founder, Jiang 'Jay' Yu, during a networking event last year, and the company was keen on leveraging his 'connections' in New York state, Yu told Bloomberg. 'He took a leap of faith on us,' Yu added. Amended filings indicated that Cuomo has not yet exercised his holdings in the shoestring nuclear startup. The company does not appear to do business in New York City, and its headquarters are located in Tennessee. The former governor's position on Nano Nuclear's advisory board was publicly known before the report last month shed light on the disclosure concerns. The firm and its CEO had congratulated Cuomo on LinkedIn and X after he jumped into the mayoral contest in March, but later deleted those social media posts, according to Politico. Cuomo is famous for crusading to shutter the since-defunct three-unit Indian Point Energy Center in Westchester County, which had been the Big Apple's biggest source of carbon-free energy. At the time, Cuomo expressed safety concerns with the plant, particularly given its proximity to the Big Apple and feared the consequences of an accident at the facility. Despite pushing to close Indian Point, Cuomo also championed subsidies for other nuclear plants in the state. Cuomo is widely seen as the frontrunner in the June 24 Democratic mayoral primary. The Post reached out to Nano Nuclear for comment.
New York Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Bill de Blasio Agrees to Pay $329,000 to Settle Campaign Expense Dispute
Bill de Blasio, the former mayor of New York City, accepted blame and agreed to pay $329,000 to the city to resolve a conflicts-of-interest violation for bringing his security detail on trips during his failed presidential campaign in 2019. The Conflicts of Interest Board, which announced the settlement on Wednesday, had found that Mr. de Blasio violated the law by billing the city for his security detail to travel with him and his wife on 31 out-of-state trips, even after the board advised Mr. de Blasio in advance that the expenses were not allowed. The settlement, which reduced the board's fine from $155,000 to $10,000, was the board's first enforcement action against a mayor. The board said that Mr. de Blasio had already paid $100,000 of what he owed and would pay the rest in quarterly installments over the next four years. Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat who was mayor from 2014 through 2021, said in a statement that he had erred. 'I acknowledge that I made a mistake, and I deeply regret it,' he said. 'Now it's time to move forward.' His ill-fated presidential campaign lasted just four months. The city spent roughly $319,000 in travel-related costs for members of Mr. de Blasio's security detail to accompany him and his wife, Chirlane McCray, on campaign trips. The expenses included airfare, car rentals, overnight lodging, meals and other incidentals. The board — an independent body with five members appointed by the mayor, comptroller and public advocate — found in 2023 that Mr. de Blasio had to reimburse the city for the costs and pay the $155,000 fine. Mr. de Blasio had fought the case in court. On Wednesday, the board said that it agreed to lower the fine to $10,000 as part of the settlement because Mr. de Blasio said that his 'financial situation' prevented him from paying the full amount. After leaving office, Mr. de Blasio ran unsuccessfully for Congress and has worked in academia, teaching classes at New York University and the University of Michigan. He occasionally weighs in on local politics and appeared recently with Mayor Eric Adams at an event to promote funding for preschool for all, Mr. de Blasio's signature policy. Mr. de Blasio's improper campaign expenses were part of a report by the city's Department of Investigation, which found that he misused public resources for both political and personal purposes, including having a police van and officers help move his daughter to Gracie Mansion. He also faced a number of investigations into his fund-raising methods.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Mayor Bill de Blasio to pay $330,000 over use of NYPD detail during 2020 presidential run
NEW YORK — Former Mayor Bill de Blasio will pay $330,000 in restitution and fines for violating city rules by using his NYPD detail during his long-shot 2020 presidential bid — the largest settlement in the history of New York City's Conflicts of Interest Board. The settlement, the first time the board has brought an enforcement action against a mayor, marks an end to the three-year legal saga centering on de Blasio's move to have his NYPD detail accompany him on 31 out-of-state trips during his failed 2020 presidential campaign. In Wednesday's agreement, the ex-mayor admitted to taking the security detail along with him despite prior warning from the board. 'In contradiction of the written guidance I received from the board, I did not reimburse the city for these expenses,' de Blasio wrote in the agreement. De Blasio has already paid $100,000 of the settlement, and has agreed to cover the rest in quarterly installments over the next four years, according to the settlement agreement. If he defaults on a payment, his total amount owed is upped to a whooping $475,000. 'Today I settled an outstanding case with the NYC COIB,' de Blasio said in a social media post. 'I acknowledge that I made a mistake, and I deeply regret it. Now it's time to move forward.' Reached over the phone, de Blasio declined to elaborate: 'That's all I have to say.' The historic settlement comes even though de Blasio for years maintained he had done nothing wrong. The ex-mayor also sued the board in 2023, seeking to overturn the the city ethics watchdog's order. That lawsuit was unsuccessful, with a Manhattan Supreme Court justice rejecting it this year and ruling that de Blasio was on the hook to repay the full amount. De Blasio and his attorney Andrew Celli argued after the fine was first imposed in 2023 that the board's decision was 'perilous' and set a standard under which the security of sitting mayors could be at risk. 'Every mayor faces threats, and all mayors are entitled to protection,' Celli said at the time. Queens City Councilman Robert Holden, a centrist Democrat and frequent de Blasio critic, lauded the settlement announcement. 'While the city hasn't yet been made whole, this settlement ends years of litigation and requires de Blasio to begin paying back nearly $330,000 in taxpayer funds,' Holden said. 'His arrogance and misuse of public resources caused lasting damage to this city — but at long last, justice is catching up.' _____
