Mystery within the mayoral office, lack of transparency with the people of New York City and continuous federal investigations are not in Mayor Eric Adams’ favor for reelection. New Yorkers deserve protections such as rental assistance laws, safe, funded public schools and more, but he must act soon as the election is nearing.
In July, Mayor Adams and his 2021 campaign received subpoenas with regard to relationships with the Turkish government. Several of Mayor Adams’ elected officials were raided by federal agents for undisclosed reasons. New Yorkers are confused and demand answers.
The homes of Tim Pearson, Sheena Wright, David Banks, Terrence Banks and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks were searched and their devices seized by federal agents.
“The goal is to follow the law. And that is what this administration always stood for, and what we’re going to continue to stand for,” Adams commented. “Whatever information that’s needed, we’re going to turn it over, and I’m going to continue to be the mayor of the City of New York, the greatest city on the globe.”
Effective Sept. 13, NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban resigned after U.S. attorneys seized the cell phones of Caban and his twin brother, James Caban, a former police officer who was allegedly involved in night life. As of Sept. 14, City Hall Chief Lisa Zornberg has resigned as well with no explanation from the mayor’s office.
In 2023, the houses of campaign consultant and fundraiser Brianna Suggs and international affairs aide Rana Abbasova were searched and probed. In February, the head of Asian affairs and fundraiser, Winnie Greco, had her house searched and was placed on medical leave.
This year alone, four lawsuits have been brought against top advisor Tim Pearson for alleged sexual abuse and mistreatment of women in the workplace. Additionally, guards from a Midtown migrant shelter are preparing for a lawsuit against Pearson and the city for “false arrest, malicious prosecution…and an excessive force allegation from Angelica Weldon accusing Pearson of pushing her into the wall, fracturing her shoulder.”
Phil Banks, former Chief of NYPD, stepped down after involvement in a 2014 scandal as an unindicted co-conspirator in federal corruption charges. Now, he is allegedly being investigated by the FBI for steering clients towards brother and businessman, Terrance Banks. According to AP News and The New York Post, clients such as Saferwatch, Mercato and Derive Technologies have thousands of dollars’ worth of contracts with the city.
Investigations aside, Adams has upped NYPD budgets, including wasted money on robocop, while defunding cornerstones to NYC such as public libraries which were previously closed on Sundays while defunding public schools. This impacts K-12 education and causes layoffs at CUNY institutions, while he speaks in support of charter schools.