Latest news with #MayorAdams
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former interim NYPD commissioner Donlon files $10M notice he'll sue Mayor Adams for defamation
Former NYPD Interim Commissioner Thomas Donlon filed a $10 million notice of intent to sue the city Monday, alleging Mayor Adams and former NYPD spokesman Tarik Sheppard slandered him when they claimed without providing evidence Donlon was removed from the post because he was 'mentally not fit,' a copy of the claim shows. Donlon, 71, filed a 251-page lawsuit in federal court in Manhattan Wednesday charging that Adams and top loyalists in the NYPD were running a 'criminal enterprise.' The following day, Sheppard, who Donlon had accused of promoting himself to three-star chief and threatening to 'kill' him at the 2024 NYC Marathon, said Donlon was suffered from 'some cognitive issues.' Sheppard also claimed the FBI seized Donlon's phones at one point. Adams the following day claimed the former career FBI agent was 'mentally not fit' and told a group of business leaders he dismissed him for refusing a mental health evaluation. 'This wasn't spin. It was a deliberate and defamatory attack — weaponizing mental health to silence a whistleblower and deflect from the criminal misconduct Donlon exposed,' said Donlon's lawyer John Scola. 'The facts speak for themselves: Donlon's phones were never seized. No mental health evaluation was ever requested. And immediately after removing him as Commissioner, Adams appointed Donlon as Senior Advisor for Public Safety—a role that directly contradicts City Hall's new narrative.' Litigants are required to file a notice of claim with the city Comptroller's office before filing a lawsuit. The claim alleges Adams and Sheppard 'knowingly made false, malicious and reputationally damaging public statements.' Donlon was appointed interim police commissioner Sept. 13 after Edward Caban's phones were seized and he was forced to resign in the midst of the then-mushrooming federal investigation into corruption in the Adams administration. Donlon presided as police commissioner for two months amid a period in which he claims in the lawsuit he was constantly undermined by Sheppard, then Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, the current Chief of Department John Chell and current Deputy Mayor Kaz Daughtry. Adams selected former Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch as police commissioner Nov. 20 and gave Donlon a post at City Hall where he worked on obtaining law enforcement grants from federal and state agencies. 'There is no documentation, medical or otherwise, suggesting Mr. Donlon was impaired or was asked to seek treatment,' the notice of claim alleges. 'No such concerns were raised until after he filed suit against the Mayor and his inner circle.' In late April, as The News previously reported, Donlon was contacted by a City Hall human resources official and told his position was being eliminated. He departed city government in early May. On Thursday, Donlon gave an hour-long interview to The News covering his tenure in detail. 'He's just grasping at straws, it's pathetic,' Donlon said of Sheppard's comments, 'Of course he's defaming me. 'Just about every day I was police commissioner, I was out in the community. Weekends. I never took a day off,' he added. 'So, no, I wasn't isolated. And no, the FBI never took my phones.' Reps for Adams and the NYPD did not immediately reply to requests for comment. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Several NYPD, Corrections' unions endorsing Mayor Adams for reelection
Several unions representing NYPD and Department of Correction employees are set to endorse Mayor Adams' independent bid for reelection this week, the first high-profile labor support he's lined up in his reelection bid. In an email sent to union members and obtained by the Daily News, the Detectives' Endowment Association, one of the police department's three major organized labor groups, wrote it'll be holding a press conference at City Hall on Thursday afternoon to officially throw its weight behind Adams' reelection effort. In the email, DEA leaders wrote the news conference is meant to display 'uniformed forces and public sector union support' for Adams. The backing offers a boost to Adams as he faces an uphill climb to a second term. 'We are looking for your support!' the union wrote. 'Please feel free to bring as many members as possible to show the mayor, the press and the public that Adams is our choice to continue to lead the city.' According to sources familiar with the matter, reps for the Correction Officers' Benevolent Association, the DOC's rank-and-file union, will join DEA at the press conference to endorse Adams. The DOC's Correction Captains' Association will join in on endorsing Adams, too, as will the unions representing DOC assistant deputy wardens and deputy wardens. The NYPD's largest union, the Police Benevolent Association, is not expected to participate in endorsing Adams on Thursday, according to a rep. The rep said the PBA has its own endorsement protocols and doesn't plan to join any coalition. A spokesman for Adams' reelection campaign didn't immediately return requests for comment. Several of New York City's largest public sector labor groups, including DC 37, the city's largest municipal union, have endorsed Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor who's polling as the favorite to win November's election. Adams, who continues to face political fallout from his federal corruption indictment and relationship with President Trump, is running against Mamdani on an independent ballot line in November. Depsite his incumbency, he hasn't secured many high-profile endorsement as polling shows he remains unpopular among most New York City voters. The boost from the cop and correction unions comes as Adams is scrambling to mount a genuine campaign against Mamdani. Ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo is also running on an independent line against Mamdani in the November race, as is attorney Jim Walden. Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa will be on the ballot, too.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mayor Adams again denied matching funds as Campaign Finance Board shifts tactics
New York City's Campaign Finance Board on Tuesday again denied Mayor Adams public matching funds for his reelection effort — but the panel switched up the reason for depriving him of the critical cash after losing a key judicial ruling. Since December 2024, the board has withheld more than $3 million in matching funds for Adams' campaign, in large part due to his federal indictment, which accused him of taking bribes and illegal campaign contributions from Turkish government operatives in exchange for political favors. The indictment was dismissed in April at the behest of President Trump's Department of Justice in a highly controversial deal that many believe has left Adams compromised. Despite the dismissal, the CFB has since April at several board meetings continued to cite the corruption case as grounds for denying Adams matching funds, arguing it provides 'reason to believe' he broke city campaign finance laws. However, last week, a Brooklyn Federal Court judge ruled in response to a lawsuit from Adams' campaign that the board couldn't withhold matching funds from Adams due to the indictment, given that it has been dropped. The judge did rule, though, that the board could deny Adams matching funds because of his campaign's long-running failure to respond to its requests for various documentation, including records related to donors mentioned in his indictment. In a meeting Tuesday morning, Frederick Schaffer, CFB's chairman, acknowledged the judge 'called into question' its reasoning on the corruption case. Still, he said the board is continuing to deny Adams matching funds because of the outstanding document requests, delivering a blow to the mayor as he faces a difficult path to reelection, running as an independent in November's general election. 'Because the documents and information requested from the Adams campaign are still outstanding and have been outstanding since last November, the board determines today that Mayor Adams' campaign has failed to demonstrate to eligibility for public funds payments at this time,' Schaffer said. Schaffer also said the board's independent investigation into Adams and his campaign remains 'ongoing.' As part of that probe, the board recently requested a slew of records related to individuals and fundraising events referenced in his indictment. Frank Carone, Adams' reelection campaign chairman, said he's hopeful the mayor will get matching funds at the board's next meeting. He also thanked the Brooklyn Federal Court judge for ruling that the 'reason to believe' standard CFB previously cited in denying Adams funds was 'arbitrary and unconstitutional.' 'Without that arbitrary standard, all that we must do is comply with what remains from CFB's document request … Therefore, we are confident now that Mayor Adams will receive matching funds,' Carone said in a statement. Also at Tuesday's meeting, the board approved about $1 million in new matching funds for Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor who's leading in the polls. It also awarded about $135,000 in new matching funds for Jim Walden, a lawyer mounting a longshot independent bid for mayor. Cuomo, who's also running as an independent in November's mayoral race, didn't apply for Tuesday's matching funds payout, according to his spokesman Rich Azzopardi. In light of his Monday announcement that he will stay in the November race, the ex-governor plans to apply for funds at next month's board meeting, Azzopardi added. Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa didn't apply for Tuesday's payout, either, but his spokesman Daniel Kurzyna said he plans to do so at the August meeting. The CFB's board meetings are typically dry, pro forma affairs. But before Schaffer started reading his statement about denying Adams funds, the meeting was disrupted by a small group of protesters angry about the CFB's flubbed rollout of its 2025 primary elections voter guide, which included a number of errors, resulting in the board having to spend millions of dollars to correct the pamphlet and mail out new ones to city residents. '$7 million down the drain,' one of the protests shouted before being escorted out of the room.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Business leaders pouring cash into NYC mayoral race to beat Mamdani, but unclear who to back
The city's wealthy powerbrokers are opening their pocketbooks to try to stop Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani from reaching City Hall — but it's still not clear which alternative is the best bet for their cash. This year's mayoral race is shaping up to be the first competitive general election in years, with incumbent Mayor Adams running as an independent and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo still in the mix. The stakes have been ratcheted up as members of the business community, taken by surprise at Mamdani's upset victory in the primary, scramble to defeat him. But it's unclear whether Cuomo, who lost by double digits to Mamdani in the primary, or Adams, whose first term was marred by a federal corruption indictment, is the better bet. Basil Smikle, a Democratic strategist, called the current situation a 'solution looking for a problem' with the potential to backfire and wind up helping Mamdani. 'There's a strong possibility that instead of using those resources to defeat him, they'll just encourage his base even more,' Smikle said. A new political action committee against Mamdani, called New Yorkers for a Better Future Mayor 25, formed Tuesday. It's not yet clear who, if anyone, it will back. Fix the City, a pro-Cuomo super PAC, has continued to rake in donations as it looks to pursue supporting a 'free-market candidate,' according to a rep. Meanwhile, Adams has collected over $1 million in just the past two weeks, as he's fundraised from the Hamptons to Midtown, according to his campaign. At a fundraiser hosted by real estate giant SL Green, he raked in nearly $1 million. Mamdani is a democratic socialist running on proposals to make buses and childcare free and to freeze rents for stabilized tenants. To pay for that agenda, Mamdani proposes raising taxes on the city's top 1% as well as jack up the corporate tax rate. Those priorities have unnerved city business leaders while generating enthusiasm among younger city-dwellers. Mamdani has focused his campaign on populist messaging, emphasized door-to-door ground outreach and built up his campaign coffers with small dollar donations. On the campaign trail, he slammed Cuomo for sharing a donor base with President Trump and said he'd be beholden to them once in office. Cuomo collected larger donations and Fix the City, the super PAC in Cuomo's support, raised roughly $24 million for the ex-governor's primary run, a record-shattering amount. The ex-governor's primary donor base now appears to be split, with some sticking by their candidate and others, like Bill Ackman, announcing a pivot to supporting Mayor Adams. Cuomo and Adams are widely seen as sharing a similar base of older, more moderate voters who oppose Mamdani's progressive agenda. Both men have also sharply criticized Mamdani over his views on Israel and Gaza, accusing him of taking antisemitic positions. It's possible that Cuomo and Adams could split the opposition to Mamdani if they both remain in the race until November. That has created some uncertainty among donors as they decide who, if not Mamdani, to throw their money to in the already high-spending race. 'Another tactic they could take is… find a way to work with him,' Smikle suggested. 'You may have disagreements, but you know, if you see that organized labor is getting behind him, you have electeds joining him.. That should tell you everything you need to know about the importance of engaging Mamdani voters.' Mamdani is making his own appeals to the city's business community. 'My vision of this city is not one where any business leader leaves this city, where any real estate developer feels as if they have no place,' Mamdani said Thursday. 'It is a vision of this city where everyone stays, everyone thrives, and we actually make enough room for more to join us.' Since Mamdani's primary win, labor and many elected officials have endorsed him. Powerful labor unions including 32BJ, the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council and the United Federation of Teachers have also backed Mamdani. Rep. Adriano Espaillat, who is hugely influential among many of the city's Latino voters, threw his weight behind Mamdani on Thursday.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Andrew Cuomo to run as independent in NYC mayoral race: sources
NEW YORK (PIX11) — Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to announce he will continue his campaign in the mayoral race running as an independent, sources tell PIX11 News. Sources report that Cuomo plans to ask any candidate challenging Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani to withdraw from the race if they are not in the lead by September, including himself. More Local News Cuomo conceded the primary to Mamdani, who won the Democratic mayoral race by 12 points. Last week, it was reported that Mayor Adams claimed Cuomo asked him to drop his independent bid for reelection. Adams has remained steadfast that he will run, despite trailing behind in a recent poll conducted by Slingshot Strategies. Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
