New York Mayor Eric Adams’ administration probe stems from questionable appointments: critics

Mismanagement and the placement of cronies in higher levels of government are the main reasons Mayor Adams is currently mired in scandal, critics say.

“You have two brothers, a capable wife and a best friend who serve as deputy mayors or senior advisers,” John Kaehny, executive director of the good government group Reinvent Albany, said of Adams.

“The hardware store ran out of red flags because they were wearing them out for this purpose.”

Among those holding top positions and alleged influence under Adams: the Banks brothers, outgoing Schools Chancellor David and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip, whose father was one of Hizzoner’s lieutenants and mentor during his time on the NYPD.

David Banks’ girlfriend, Sheena Wright, landed a job as first deputy mayor, while Adams’ girlfriend, Tracey Collins, earns $221,000 a year as a senior adviser at the city’s Department of Education.

The appointment of Philip Banks was particularly troubling, said Kaehny, who noted that he retired as chief of the New York Police Department in 2014 amid a sweeping federal police corruption investigation that found him an unindicted co-conspirator .

Kaehny said that likely put Banks on the government’s radar the moment he was elected to office.

New York City police inspector and close Adams ally Tim Pearson, a top adviser who oversaw lucrative migrant security contracts, was another person concerned about the appointment: according to Kaehny.

“Early on, Adams was at odds with the Conflict of Interest Board over Pearson taking two salaries, including one from a casino” that was seeking government approval to expand its operations, he said.

Year	Destination	Benefits	Value	Revealed?
2016	India (via Turkey)	Complimentary business class upgrade for two people on a round-trip flight from New York to India	$12,000	NO
2017	France, Turkey and China	Complimentary business class tickets for three people round-trip from New York to France, Turkey and China; stay with a big discount in the Bentley Suite in St. Regis in Istanbul	Over $41,000	NO
2017	China (via Turkey)	Complimentary business class tickets for two for round-trip travel from New York to China	Over $16,000	NO
2018	Hungary (via Turkey)	Complimentary business class upgrade for two on round-trip travel from New York to Hungary	$12,000+	NO
2019	Turkey	Complimentary business class upgrade for one person on a flight from New York to Turkey; free stay in the Cosmopolitan Suite of St. Regis Istanbul; free meals, transportation and entertainment in Istanbul	$9000+	NO
2021	Türkiye (ordered and accepted but then canceled)	Complimentary business class upgrade for two on round-trip travel from New York to Turkey; free or major discounts on luxury hotel and resort stays, transportation, entertainment and meals	Over $21,000	NO
2021	Ghana (via Turkey)	Complimentary business class upgrade for two on round-trip travel from New York to Ghana; free meal and transportation during stopover in Istanbul	$12,000+	NO

Feds seized phones and electronic equipment from David and Philip Banks, Pearson and Wright, who are investigating whether they had any influence in steering city contracts to benefit themselves or family members, sources told The Post.

None have been charged with misconduct.

One of Adams’ sources said the Turkish investigation, which involves unpaid travel and campaign contributions, “is due in part to poor management decisions,” including assigning unqualified people to positions that require “not only ethical scrupulousness but also extraordinary attention to detail.” “.

Particularly troubling was the decision to hire Briana Suggs, a former Adams intern with close ties to his inner circle, to serve as a key consultant and fundraiser for his 2021 mayoral campaign.

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Stay tuned for New York Post coverage of the indictment of Mayor Eric Adams

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“I don’t think they were aware enough of the strict campaign finance laws, especially when it comes to foreigners, and they prioritized raising money over making sure everything was clear,” the source said.

Adams, 64, started as a transit cop and rose through the ranks of the New York Police Department to the state Senate, Brooklyn borough president and City Hall. He made history this week as the first sitting mayor to be charged with a crime.

According to Democratic sources, Adams’ ability to climb out of ethical quagmires throughout his service as a police officer and political career may have finally caught up with him when he arrived at City Hall.

“As his circle grew. . . as his power grew, his staff grew, his corruption deepened,” said a Democratic council member.

While in Albany from 2007 to 2013, Adams was accused by the state inspector general in 2010 of accepting large campaign donations from people associated with bidders for the Aqueduct Racetrack casino contract.

The case was referred to federal prosecutors, but he was never charged

And when Adams was elected to the Brooklyn Beep in 2013, the city’s Department of Investigation found that the nonprofit he created to fund his office’s pet projects, One Brooklyn, was violating city regulations.

“He came close to being impeached several times and apparently got away with it, so he clearly felt like he could keep getting away with it,” said one Democratic Party veteran. “But you can’t outdo the Southern District of New York.”