News: POLITICO New York Playbook: Adams, Sliwa trade punches

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

POLITICO New York Playbook: Adams, Sliwa trade punches

Oct 06, 2021

By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Deanna Garcia

With less than a month until the general election for mayor, things are finally heating up between Democratic nominee Eric Adams and Republican opponent Curtis Sliwa. The foes tore into each other in a pair of radio interviews, some of their most pointed back and forth of the campaign season so far.

Adams denounced his foe, the founder of the Guardian Angels public safety group, in an appearance on WNYC's Brian Lehrer show Tuesday as a "racist" who is treating the contest like a "circus." "I dedicated my life as a police officer for 22 years, fighting against the systemic racism that exists," he said. "It's difficult for Curtis to talk about the systemic racism, because he has been a leading voice of being a racist."

Sliwa shot back that Adams has made it a go-to move to label his adversaries racist — citing the primary campaign, where he charged a ranked-choice voting alliance between two opponents was an attempt to disenfranchise voters of color.

In his own appearance on Brian Lehrer, the Republican went after Adams for spending time fundraising in the Hamptons and vacationing in Monaco. "Eric Adams has spent a lot of his time of late up in the suites, getting wined dined and pocket lined by the Fortune 500 executives, by Wall Street executives, by the powerful, by the rich," Sliwa said. "I've spent my time out in the streets and subways, as I always have." He also charged the Brooklyn borough president and retired NYPD cop is "failing young men" with his comments about carrying a gun.

The back and forth stands out in part because Adams, the odds-on favorite, has kept a pretty light public campaign schedule. (His spokesman, however, maintains that he is working from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m., which if you're counting leaves only three hours for sleep and everything else.) Sliwa, meanwhile, has held frequent campaign events but struggled to garner much attention for them. But the two will go head to head at least twice, with official debates scheduled for Oct. 20 and 26.

IT'S WEDNESDAY. Got tips, suggestions or thoughts? Let us know ... By email: EDurkin@politico.com and agronewold@politico.com, or on Twitter: @erinmdurkin and @annagronewold

WHERE'S KATHY? Making an announcement at the Museum of Jewish Heritage.

WHERE'S BILL? Holding a media availability and speaking at the FDNY Memorial Day ceremony.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I learned something today in the city of Albany. There's a poolhouse at the governor's mansion. Never knew that was there." — Albany county executive Dan McCoy, who was elected in 2011 and lives in Albany, but never got the full mansion tour until a Tuesday meeting Hochul held with county leaders

PROGRAMMING NOTE: New York Playbook will not publish on Monday, Oct. 11. We'll be back on our normal schedule on Tuesday, Oct. 12. Please continue to follow POLITICO New York.

THE MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE 2021 IS HERE: POLITICO is excited to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage and insights from one of the largest and most influential gatherings of experts reinventing finance, health, technology, philanthropy, industry and media. Don't miss a thing from the 24th annual Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, from Oct. 17 to 20. Can't make it? We've got you covered. Planning to attend? Enhance your #MIGlobal experience and subscribe today.

WHAT CITY HALL'S READING

"Controversial chief of NYPD sergeants union resigns after FBI raids union's Manhattan headquarters, searches his Long Island home," by New York Daily News' Stephen Rex Brown, Noah Goldberg, Michael Gartland, Brittany Kriegstein and Larry McShane: "The controversial president of the union representing NYPD sergeants resigned Tuesday after federal investigators searched the union's headquarters and his home. Sergeants Benevolent Association President Ed Mullins resigned at the request of the union's board, the board said in a letter to its membership late Tuesday. 'The nature and scope of this criminal investigation has yet to be determined,' the board's letter said. 'However, it is clear that President Mullins is apparently the target of the federal investigation. We have no reason to believe that any other member of the SBA is involved or targeted in this matter.' Mullins' abrupt departure came after federal investigators descended Tuesday on the SBA's lower Manhattan headquarters and Mullins' Long Island home."

"Ballot Blunders: Looking at patronage and nepotism at NYC Board of Elections," by NY1's Courtney Gross: "Last week, we were looking for one commissioner at the New York City Board of Elections (BOE). But Gino Marmorato was not interested in talking. NY1 wanted to discuss his deep ties to the Bronx Republican party. Marmorato is the Bronx GOP chairman's brother-in-law. His familial connections have never been publicly disclosed before. A statement NY1 received from the party said the chairman, Michael Rendino, had nothing to do with his appointment."

— WATCH: Brooklyn Democratic boss Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn walks into traffic to avoid answering questions from NY1 about dysfunction at the Board of Elections.

"Can You Imagine Bill de Blasio as Governor? He Can.," by The New York Times' Katie Gluck and Dana Rubinstein: "Mayor Bill de Blasio has begun to tell people privately that he plans to run for governor of New York next year, according to three people with direct knowledge of his conversations with fellow Democrats and donors. Mr. de Blasio, who has been a polarizing figure during his two terms in office, has also sounded out trusted former aides about their interest in working on a potential campaign, according to two people who are familiar with those contacts, and has made other overtures to labor leaders about a possible bid."

" Why Some Health Care Workers Are Vaccine Hesitant Despite Their Medical Training," by WNYC's Gwynne Hogan: "Arleene Meertens saw the worst of the COVID pandemic as a patient care technician at Kingsbrook Hospital in Flatbush. During Brooklyn's first wave, she watched patient after patient struggle to pull oxygen into their damaged lungs before turning grey and passing away. She could do little more than hold their hands and hope their final moments felt less lonely. But when it came time to get her COVID-19 vaccine, the drug that leaders promised would finally banish the pain of the pandemic, she held back. 'This is my body, this is my temple, and no one [has] a right to force me to do what I don't want to do,' she said, adding that maybe in four or five years, she would have considered it."

"Rogan Show Spurs Call for Uniform Vaccination Rules for Home and Away Teams," by The City's Christine Chung: "Out-of-town athletes and performers who appear on New York's biggest stages would have to get the COVID vaccine just like those who call the city home, if a Manhattan state senator's new bill to address the jab disparity becomes law. Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) introduced a bill on Tuesday to block the exemption, following THE CITY's reporting on the double standard laid bare when anti-vaccine-mandate comedian Joe Rogan played Madison Square Garden over the weekend."

— The city's school vaccine mandate survived another court challenge.

WHAT ALBANY'S READING

"N.Y. Gov. Hochul: more COVID vaccine mandates could be in the works," by Daily News' Denis Slattery: "More vaccine mandates could be in the cards as the Empire State seeks to boost immunizations against COVID, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday. The governor touted mandates for health care workers and announced that workers at psychiatric hospitals in the state's Office of Mental health network or at specialty hospitals certified by the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities will be required to get at least one dose of vaccine against the deadly virus by Nov. 1. Further requirements are likely, Hochul added."

Hochul endorsed by North Country Democratic leaders, by POLITICO's Bill Mahoney: Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday that her campaign has won the support of 10 Democratic chairs of counties in or around the Adirondacks. It's the latest sign that Hochul is ramping up her campaign efforts as potential primary opponents such as Attorney General Tish James and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams move closer to runs. The press release announcing the endorsements was the first sent by her campaign committee in a year, and it came a day after state Democratic Committee Chair Jay Jacobs backed her. Hochul briefly discussed politics at a Covid-19 briefing earlier in the day when she was asked about a call for her to remove Jacobs following his disclosure that he gave former Gov. Andrew Cuomo a heads-up he'd be endorsing his successor.

— Libertarian Larry Sharpe launched an exploratory committee for a possible gubernatorial run.

" Andrew Cuomo aides told Kathy Hochul she was off 2022 ticket before scandals," by New York Post's Nolan Hicks and Bernadette Hogan: "She went from goner — to governor! Top aides to disgraced ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo told then-Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul in a phone call that she would be off the ticket come 2022 as Cuomo made plans to vie for a fourth term — before his political career was undone by an epic sex harassment scandal. Cuomo had already attempted to dump Hochul once before because he believed in 2018 the veteran western New York politician could not shore up his standing with left-wing Democrats who were gaining influence in New York City politics."

" New York's cannabis board holds first meeting, amends medical program," by USA Today Network's Tiffany Cusaac-Smith: "New York marijuana regulators on Tuesday sought to make up for delays in the drug's rollout by approving a chief equity officer and making immediate changes to the medical cannabis program during the inaugural meeting of the state Cannabis Control Board."

A JCOPE CLASSIC: " JCOPE Votes to Investigate Itself Over Cuomo Book Deal Approval," by WMHT's Karen DeWitt: "The state ethics panel voted Tuesday to open an independent investigation of how the panel approved a $5 million dollar book deal for former Governor Andrew Cuomo. The deal has been the subject of a probe by the state's attorney general as well as federal investigators. The Joint Commission on Public Ethics, or JCOPE, called a special meeting to reexamine the panel's own decision, made in the summer of 2020, to allow Cuomo to write a memoir about his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. ...The commission's staff said the former governor could not rely on state employees or other state resources to produce the memoir, but Cuomo is alleged to have used staff to help him write and edit the book, something he denies. After a nearly two hour closed door meeting, the commission's chair, Jose Nieves, announced that the commission will ask an independent law firm to look into the matter."

WANTED: Two New York state spruce trees for the Capitol's Christmas cheer.

YOUR STATE COMPTROLLER supports local news, home and away. Be like Tom.

"Rensselaer County to use Dutchess County for autopsies," by Times Union's Kenneth C Crowe II: "Rensselaer County has turned to Dutchess County to provide medical examiner services to conduct autopsies and lab tests under a new agreement reached after Rensselaer's medical examiner was shut out of Capital Region hospitals because he is not vaccinated for COVID-19. The county is weighing whether to end Dr. Michael Sikirica's appointment as chief medical examiner at salary of $78,773 plus benefits due to his inability to work in approved medical settings because of his lack of the vaccination."

#UpstateAmerica: Seventy-two-year-old Dennis Kemmeter, who started out as a bag boy in Oneonta, is now the 53rd member of the New York Convenience Store Hall of Fame.

HAPPENING THURSDAY – POLITICO'S FIRST EVER DEFENSE FORUM : President Joe Biden is making critical shifts in the Pentagon's priorities, including fully withdrawing all U.S. troops from Afghanistan, scaling back U.S. military presence across the Middle East and rethinking the positioning of military forces around the world to focus more on China. Join POLITICO on Oct. 7 for our inaugural defense forum to talk to the decision makers in the White House, Congress, military, and defense industry who are reshaping American power abroad and redefining military readiness for the future of warfare. REGISTER HERE.

AROUND NEW YORK

— "Dispatch From Rikers Island: 'It Looks Like a Slave Ship in There' — Detainees, correction officers and officials talk about the new state of emergency."

— A Manhattan doorman was arrested for dealing guns outside his building.

— A judge declared a mistrial in the case against Hempstead Village deputy police chief Richard Holland after finding the prosecution didn't disclose wiretap evidence.

— The Fruit Belt land trust has become a topic of debate in the Buffalo mayoral race.

— Supply chain issues have squeezed the flow of chicken tenders in Western New York schools.

— The Senate confirmed Damian Williams as the new U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and Breon S. Peace for the Eastern District.

— De Blasio missed his own deadline to announce an overhaul of the gifted and talented program.

SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.) … WSJ's Eliza Collins … Jonathan Alter … The Daily Beast's Will O'Connor … U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Evan Williams and Patrick O'Connor … Miles Radcliffe-Trenner … Doug McPherson … Hindy Poupko

MEDIAWATCH — Blake Hounshell is joining the NYT to "re-engineer and build a new team" for the Times' newsletter On Politics. He currently is managing editor for Washington and politics at POLITICO. Announcement … Per Talking Biz News: "Beth Fertig, a senior reporter at WNYC, has left after over 26 years." … Steve Capus, the former president of NBC News, was blocked by the White House earlier this year from being named director of VOA. Two sources said that the White House didn't block him on his merits but instead wants whoever ends up becoming CEO of USAGM to get to pick their own head of VOA.

FIRST IN NY PLAYBOOK: Natasha Yvette Williams, Jenn Colella, Thayne Jasperson, Jelani Remy and Candace Marie Woods are performing today in Times Square at an announcement today where Richard Petty Motorsports and Power to the Patients are announcing a partnership. They're unveiling the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, driven by Erik Jones, ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America Rival 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Exclusive pic of his racing helmet and uniform

MAKING MOVES — Eric Koch, a veteran New York City communications strategist, is launching a new firm called Downfield. The communications firm will focus on campaigns, corporations, nonprofits and crisis clients. The Met Council on Jewish Poverty will be among the first clients. Koch previously worked at Precision Strategies and before that was communications director to New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.

— MTA senior adviser Ken Lovett is leaving his post later this month for consulting firm Ichor Strategies, where he'll lead the public sector division. He's the former Albany bureau chief for the New York Daily News.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Alyson Grant Tarek, senior adviser in the NYC Mayor's Office of State Legislative Affairs, and Shams Tarek, a member of Gov. Kathy Hochul's press office, had their second son, Elijah Giasuddin Tarek, younger brother to Ezra, on Sept. 20 in Albany.

— Kate Meissner, EVP at Edelman and a POLITICO alum, and Chris Meissner, COO at the 202 Group, welcomed Lane Auden Meissner on Thursday night. She came in at 9 lbs, 2 oz. Pic

REAL ESTATE

"NYCHA Housing Fix Clouded by Tenant Complaints About Private Managers," by The City's Greg B. Smith: "On a November morning in 2018, Mayor Bill de Blasio convened the press in a community center at The Bronx' Betances Houses to announce what he proclaimed a transformative moment for the long-troubled New York City Housing Authority. De Blasio had decided to embrace Rental Assistance Demonstration or RAD, a controversial Obama-era reform in which management of public housing apartments is turned over to the private sector in exchange for much-needed upgrades … Three years later, a growing number of potholes have emerged on the road to RAD."

" SoHo Catered to Free-Spending Tourists. What Happens Without Them?" by The New York Times' Matthew Haag: "In the chic neighborhood of SoHo, more than 40 stores have closed during the pandemic. More than a quarter of the offices, once among the most desirable and expensive in New York City, are empty, the highest vacancy rate in Manhattan. The international tourists who fueled the area's economy vanished a year and a half ago. Perhaps no commercial district in the American city hardest hit by the pandemic's financial devastation has been hurt more than the picturesque district of ornate cast-iron buildings, art galleries and designer boutiques that made it one of the country's hippest neighborhoods."

"Manhattan Apartment Sales Surge to Three-Decade High," by The New York Times' Stefanos Chen: "More apartments were sold in Manhattan in the third quarter than at any other time in the last 32 years, in the latest sign that New York City real estate is set for a faster-than-expected recovery, according to new market reports."

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