News : POLITICO New York Playbook: Adams scraps lobbying disclosure

Monday, March 14, 2022

POLITICO New York Playbook: Adams scraps lobbying disclosure

Mar 14, 2022

By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Deanna Garcia

Presented by CVS Health

New Yorkers will no longer know when top City Hall officials meet with lobbyists, thanks to a switcheroo by Mayor Eric Adams.

A memo went out at the beginning of the month laying out the ground rules for dealing with professional influence peddlers — and quietly reversing a pledge under Mayor Bill de Blasio to disclose such meetings publicly, our Sally Goldenberg reports.

"Mayor's Office employees are not required to maintain or file any reports or documents in connection with their meetings with lobbyists," the memo from City Hall attorneys stated. With that, the Adams administration has effectively canceled a policy instituted by de Blasio to publish a list online of meetings deputy mayors and agency heads have with lobbyists.

Now, de Blasio had ethics issues of his own. Lots of them. And the disclosure system was far from perfect, with disclosures inconsistently made and often delayed. One government watchdog, John Kaehny of Reinvent Albany, said, "I don't have an outrage quote loaded here because I don't know what the practical difference will be for New York City government," citing flaws in the previous disclosure system. City Hall Counsel Brendan McGuire said it would be "unfair and pointless" to "continue to require city employees to report an incomplete and inaccurate inventory of meetings."

Still, to scrap even the pretense of disclosure is "bad optics," Kaehny said. And the move is the latest evidence that transparency may not be a priority for the mayor, who hasn't been publishing transcripts of most of his events and has been opaque over everything from where he lives to what he eats.

IT'S MONDAY. 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? Speaking at the New York State Association of Counties Legislative Conference dinner.

WHERE'S ERIC? In Washington, D.C., to participate in the National League of Cities' Congressional City Conference.

QUOTE OF THE DAY — "Kyrie can play tomorrow. Get vaccinated." — Mayor Eric Adams, responding to a heckler objecting to the fact that unvaccinated Nets star Kyrie Irving is barred from playing home games due to the city's vaccine mandate.

A message from CVS Health:

Throughout the pandemic, in New York and communities across the country, CVS Health has been there. We've opened more than 4,800 COVID-19 test sites, administered 41 million tests and given 59 million vaccines. We've expanded access to prenatal and postpartum care via telemedicine, increased remote access to mental health services and invested in affordable housing to help build healthier communities. We've been on the frontlines, making health care easier to access and afford. Learn more.

What City Hall's reading

"Adams Advisor Resigns New City Job After Questions About Democratic Party Post," by The City's Yoav Gonen and George Joseph: "The husband of a top Brooklyn Democratic party leader resigned from his newly appointed position in the administration of Mayor Eric Adams on Friday — the same day THE CITY asked about rules that appear to prohibit his simultaneously maintaining a key political party role. Edu Hermelyn, a district leader for the Brooklyn Democrats in Crown Heights, was only recently appointed as 'senior advisor for strategic initiatives' at the Department of Social Services, City Limits reported. He's married to party leader Rodneyse Bichotte, who's also a Brooklyn Assembly member. She was a staunch supporter of Adams in his campaign for mayor, and Hermelyn's consulting firm earned more than $80,000 in fees on Adams' mayoral campaign."

— LONG READ: The New Identity Politics of Eric Adams, by POLITICO Magazine's Ruby Cramer

" Booster shot data from New York City shows major disparities by race and neighborhood," by The New York Times' Ashley Wong: "Much like the rest of the United States, New York City has struggled to convince some groups of residents to get a booster shot of the coronavirus vaccine. But new data released by the city on Wednesday shows wide disparities among who in the city is getting a third dose. Though millions of Americans flocked to get fully vaccinated, the number of people getting a booster shot has come up short."

— "Can we use the sewers to track COVID-19? NYC is still figuring it out," by Gothamist's Caroline Lewis

— Friday was the deadline for city workers to show proof of their second vaccine dose or face termination.

"Revamped NYPD anti-crime units to hit streets Monday ," by New York Post's Craig McCarthy: "The first wave of the NYPD's new anti-gun units is set to hit the streets early next week, the city's top cop said Friday. Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said during a press conference at One Police Plaza the Neighborhood Safety Teams — a key pillar of Mayor Eric Adams' crime-fighting plan — will start patrolling Monday in 28 areas where shootings have increased during the pandemic."

" NYC continues Summer Rising enrichment program, adding more seats and hours," by WNYC's Jessica Gould

— Adams enjoys vibrant Vegan Friday meal at Bronx school while Brooklyn students get colorless cuisine, by POLITICO's Deanna Garcia and Julia Marsh: Public school students got to "taste the rainbow" Friday — as long as they attended P.S. 329 in the Bronx, where a special guest joined them for lunch.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — New City Council Parks Committee Chair Shekar Krishnan will release a five-point plan for the city's green spaces today. He calls for $1 billion in spending, or 1 percent of the city budget, to fund upkeep of parks. He also calls for a million new trees to be planted by 2030. Krishnan, who represents Jackson Heights, Queens — one of the neighborhoods in the city where park space is particularly scarce — says there should be a new Parks Construction Authority, modeled after the School Construction Authority, to more efficiently complete projects that often drag on for years. The plan also calls for new or upgraded playgrounds in every zip code within five years and expanded access to the city's waterfront. — Erin Durkin

— City kicks off 100 park renovation projects, by POLITICO's Erin Durkin: The city will spend $417 million on more than 100 park renovation projects breaking ground this spring, Mayor Eric Adams announced Sunday. The projects were previously halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. … The capital projects announcement comes after Adams failed to fulfill a campaign promise to dedicate at least 1 percent of the city's overall operations budget to parks.

SUBSCRIBE TO NATIONAL SECURITY DAILY : Keep up with the latest critical developments from Ukraine and across Europe in our daily newsletter, National Security Daily. The Russian invasion of Ukraine could disrupt the established world order and result in a refugee crisis, increased cyberattacks, rising energy costs and additional disruption to global supply chains. Go inside the top national security and foreign-policymaking shops for insight on the global threats faced by the U.S. and its allies and what actions world leaders are taking to address them. Subscribe today.

WHAT ALBANY'S READING

ONE-HOUSE BUDGET proposals from both the Senate and Assembly are out. Lawmakers are expected to pass their resolutions as early as today.

ICYMI: Mayoral control of New York City schools not expected in state Legislature's one-house budget resolutions, by POLITICO's Michelle Bocanegra and Madina Touré: But lawmakers have publicly been divided on the issue, and some have indicated they are leery of including it in the state budget without more time to review the matter. One source familiar with the matter didn't rule out that mayoral control could still be part of final budget negotiations with the governor for the fiscal year that starts April 1, but that it would not be included in one-house budget resolutions, which set out the Democratic-controlled Legislature's agenda before budget talks start in earnest. While mayoral control is traditionally not pushed for in one-house resolutions, it has also been kicked out of budget talks over the years and left to debate independently during the remainder of the legislative session, which runs through early June. The current version is set to expire on June 30.

"State Board of Elections Begins Enforcing Campaign Finance Disclosure Laws," by New York Focus' Sam Mellins : "Following a series of reports by New York Focus into the state Board of Elections's failure to enforce a 2019 reform law meant to limit corporate dark money in New York's elections, the Board's top enforcement official said last week that it has begun to enforce the law by notifying thousands of corporate donors that they are violating it. The 2019 reforms were passed to eliminate a quirk of New York campaign finance law that allowed a particular type of corporation — the limited liability corporation, or LLC — to anonymously funnel millions of dollars into the campaign coffers of elected state officials. For three years, though, key provisions of the law went unenforced, and LLCs continued to make anonymous donations to the campaigns of prominent elected officials—including nearly $400,000 in anonymous contributions to Governor Kathy Hochul last year. Now, that may finally be changing."

"'Cuomo-W. Trump-L.': How CNN's Jeff Zucker and His Cronies Manipulated the News ," by Rolling Stone's Tatiana Siegel: "When the segment ended, [Allison] Gollust texted Cuomo: 'Well done . . . Cuomo-W. Trump-L.' A representative for the former governor declined to comment. Risa Heller, a spokeswoman for both Zucker and Gollust, says in a statement that 'Jeff never advised Andrew Cuomo,' and that the notion that Gollust was 'laundering advice to the Governor' was 'far-fetched' and 'patently ridiculous.' But two sources familiar with the matter dispute this. To observers both outside and inside CNN, the network brass's interactions with the governor represented the worst kind of journalistic lapse — 'one of the most clear-cut ethical breaches you could think of,' says University of Missouri journalism professor Ryan Thomas."

"New York's Grand Capitol Slowly Awakens From Pandemic Slumber," by The New York Times' Luis Ferré-Sadurní: "The closure left the building's cavernous inside, a gem of 19th century architecture, desolate. Barely a soul climbed its grand staircases, some of which are punctuated by haunting sandstone carvings, including mischievous-looking gargoyles and unidentified faces known here as the 'Capitol's Unknown.' Gone was the hustle-and-bustle that also offered surprising accessibility, of bearing witness to policy being made, even if much of that policy was still cut in back rooms."

FORMER GOV. GEORGE PATAKI is in Ukraine, near Hungary, helping refugees. "When we ask Ukrainians what they most want, the answer we always get is, 'Close the sky,' because families, homes and towns are being devastated from above by the Russian military," he told NYT Opinion's Maureen Dowd. "And it's very disappointing not to be able to answer that question. I understand we're not going to create a no-fly zone, but we should give the Ukrainians the material support to enable them to create their own no-fly zone."

#UpstateAmerica: Four Erie County legislators want Buffalo to drop its sister-city relationship with the Russian city of Tver.

FROM THE DELEGATION

"U.S. should crack down on Russian oligarchs' NYC investments: politicians," by New York Daily News' Shant Shahrigian: "The U.S. should crack down on Russian oligarchs hiding their wealth in places like Manhattan's "Billionaires' Row" to strike a blow at Russia and its war against Ukraine, New York politicians said Sunday. Super-rich Russians have invested about $1 billion in properties along 57th St., where luxury high-rises tower over Central Park, said Rep. Carolyn Maloney and other pols at a news conference steps away from the posh stretch. 'The same oligarchs that are promoting and benefiting from this crisis have been using … corporate loopholes to fund their lavish lifestyles at the expense of the Ukrainian people,' said Maloney, a Democrat whose congressional district includes the area."

— "Russian oligarch sanctioned by U.S. was former client of NYC's international affairs commissioner," by New York Daily News' Chris Sommerfeldt: "The Biden administration has slapped stiff economic sanctions on a Russian oligarch who once worked with the city's international affairs commissioner. Viktor Vekselberg, a Russian businessman with close ties to Putin who made his fortune in Russia's energy and technology sectors, has gotten his private aircraft and yacht blacklisted by the U.S. government, the Treasury Department said in a statement Friday afternoon."

The Long Island Sound takes star billing in House race to succeed Suozzi, by POLITICO's Bill Mahoney: As the crowded Democratic primary field to succeed outgoing Rep. Tom Suozzi takes shape, candidates are beginning to address a question that is usually so fundamental that it doesn't come up in campaigns: What exactly is the district they're running for? And that could be setting the stage for an oddity in New York politics. Based on the early messaging from candidates, it seems plausible that the eventual victor will primarily be identified not by the city or county that they live in, but the body of water they happen to live near.

AROUND NEW YORK

— A man who was denied entry to the Museum of Modern Art because his membership had been revoked stabbed two employees.

— The same person is suspected in apparently targeted shootings of five people experiencing homelessness in New York and Washington, including two homicides.

— The new head of the NYPD sergeants union appeared on a list of "target subjects" in a federal search warrant tied to the fraud case against former president Ed Mullins.

— The Russian Orthodox Church in the U.S. has not spoken out about the invasion of Ukraine.

— A man was charged with attacking a three-year-old girl sitting in a wagon in Flushing.

— Vendors in Washington Square Park are openly selling marijuana, after possession became legal in the state but before sales are set to become legal.

— Mayor Eric Adams appears to have lost money by taking his paychecks in cryptocurrency.

— Endorsements are divided in a Assembly special election in Brooklyn to fill the seat vacated by Diana Richardson.

— Rep. Elise Stefanik introduced federal legislation that would require all schools to offer chocolate milk in response to Adams' support for banning the drink.

— Andrew Bellucci, who left Bellucci's Pizza in a dispute with a former partner, will open the new Bellucci's Pizzeria in the same Astoria neighborhood.

— At least 25 Irish pubs have closed in the city since the beginning of the pandemic.

— Labor unions are urging state lawmakers to pass new tenant protections in the Good Cause Eviction bill.

— Advocates for mentally ill New Yorkers are worried that efforts to address crime and violence will unfairly affect vulnerable individuals.

— Gov. Kathy Hochul recommended three city housing sites, a Hell's Kitchen open-air market, and the Hunts Point rail station for historic designation.

— Floyd Bennett Field in southern Brooklyn and Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island are looking to add "glamping" operations.

DON'T MISS POLITICO'S INAUGURAL HEALTH CARE SUMMIT ON 3/31: Join POLITICO for a discussion with health care providers, policymakers, federal regulators, patient representatives, and industry leaders to better understand the latest policy and industry solutions in place as we enter year three of the pandemic. Panelists will discuss the latest proposals to overcome long-standing health care challenges in the U.S., such as expanding access to care, affordability, and prescription drug prices. REGISTER HERE.

SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Lily Adams … Fox News' John L. Wallace III … Andrea Bozek of Big Dog Strategies … Josh Walker of the Japan Society … N.Y. Post's Carl Campanile … Anna Fifield … Matt David of Crypto.com … Craig T. Smith … Mastercard's Alexander Niejelow … Peter Rose of Sard Verbinnen & Co. … Josh Walker of the Japan Society … Susan Slattery … (was Sunday): JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon … state Inspector General Lucy Lang … Meta's Caroline Chalmers … CNN's Katelyn Polantz … WSJ's Ryan Tracy … former Rep. Rick Lazio (R-N.Y.) … Diamond Naga Siu … MSNBC's Yelda Altalef … Trevor Faden … Sarah Mulcahy … Shana Yocheved Schacter … Allie Banwell …

… (was Saturday): Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) … Jake Tapper (53) … James Ball … Slate's Jim Newell … FT's Peter Spiegel … Ashley Ludlow … Fox News' Eric Shawn … WSJ's Emily Stephenson … Lewis Laskin … Tara (Jeffries) Payne … Larry Rothschild ... Stephen Mandel ... Steve Levy (h/ts Jewish Insider)

MAKING MOVES — Jake Dilemani is now a partner at Mercury. He was formerly managing director at the firm. Erica Dumas has been promoted to managing director, while Deanne Braveman, Greg Drilling and Kimberly Winston are now senior vice presidents at the firm and Oliva DeLuca is a director.

… Amanda Slater is now SVP of public policy and head of U.S. federal affairs at Mastercard. She previously was a principal at Rich Feuer Anderson, and is a Visa, Tom Carper and Ed Perlmutter alum.

MEDIAWATCH — Natalie Pahz is now director of comms for CBS' "60 Minutes." She previously was a senior PR manager at CNN. … Nicole Meir has joined the AP as media relations manager. She previously was assistant director of media relations for the Atlantic Council.

WEEKEND WEDDING — Jason Kaplan, senior vice president at SKDKnickerbocker, and Julie Doyle, public defender at the Bronx Defenders, tied the knot Saturday at the Greenpoint Loft in Brooklyn. The couple met in 2014 in Washington, DC while Jason was working for now-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

A message from CVS Health:

At CVS Health, we're more than 300,000 caring employees ensuring New Yorkers and millions of Americans can access health care services.

We have been offering COVID-19 vaccines at more than 9,600 CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide.

Nothing should stand in the way of mental health and well-being, so we have been increasing remote access to mental health services.

We have been supporting safer pregnancies and expanding access to prenatal and postpartum care via telemedicine.

Recognizing the strong connection between housing and health, we have been investing in affordable housing to support underserved populations and build healthier communities.

Every day, CVS Health works to bring quality, affordable health care into neighborhoods, homes and hands—so it's never out of reach for anyone.

Healthier Happens Together. Learn more.

Real Estate

"Manhattan's Chinese Street Signs Are Disappearing," by The New York Times' Aaron Reiss and Denise Lu : "As with many neighborhoods in New York City, Chinatown has a history that is legible in layers. Here in Lower Manhattan, Republic of China flags still flutter above the offices of family associations that were founded before the Communist Revolution. Job posting boards covered in slips of paper cater to recent immigrants. Instagrammable dessert shops serve young locals and tourists alike. "For Rent / 出租" signs are everywhere, alluding to the shrinking number of Chinese businesses and residents. And above a dwindling number of intersections hang signs declaring the names of the street in English and in Chinese."

Follow us on Twitter