News : POLITICO New York Playbook: Muslim leaders press Adams on NYPD spying flap

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

POLITICO New York Playbook: Muslim leaders press Adams on NYPD spying flap

Mar 23, 2022

By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Deanna Garcia

Presented by New Yorkers for Responsible Gaming

Leaders in the Muslim community just so happened to have a meeting scheduled with New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday and, as it turned out, they had a major bone to pick.

The meeting came days after the top anti-terror official at the NYPD denied that police inappropriately surveilled Muslim New Yorkers after Sept. 11. John Miller, the deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism, told the City Council there was just a "perception" that mosques and organizations were spied upon but "no evidence" it actually took place, prompting disbelief from those who saw the surveillance as well-established history.

Community leaders told Adams that Miller should face consequences, and one, Council Member Shahana Hanif, called for him to be fired. "Holding Miller accountable," she said, should be part of the administration's response.

Adams has made it very clear he does not agree with the counterterrorism bigwig's version of events, saying when asked about the matter Monday: "What we did was wrong." He pledged that "it won't happen under this administration."

But Muslim leaders who attended the roundtable with the mayor pressed him to go further. "We want an apology, we want Miller and the police department to be held accountable and we want transparency — and to obviously do all of this in public," said CAIR-NY Legal Director Ahmed Mohamed. He said people who were surveilled by the NYPD's now-disbanded demographics unit have not been able to obtain files kept on them, and asked for those documents to be released. "The mayor's response was disappointing," Mohamed said. "Obviously, he didn't agree."

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? New York Botanical Garden's Women's History Month breakfast and speaking at the New York State Police Academy graduation.

WHERE'S ERIC? Meeting with Italian Ambassador to the United States Mariangela Zappia and the Consul General of Italy in New York Fabrizio Di Michele, speaking at an American Israel Public Affairs Committee lunch, making a health related announcement, raising a Ukrainian flag, and speaking at a Committee for Hispanic Children and Families gala.

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What City Hall's reading

"Adams: Mask mandate for kids under 5 to end if COVID risk stays low," by Gothamist's Elizabeth Kim: "New York City will make mask wearing optional for children younger than 5 if COVID-19 rates remain low over the next two weeks, Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday. 'We want to see our babies' faces,' Adams said during a press conference at City Hall with health officials and City Council members, adding the change will take effect on April 4th. He prefaced his remarks by saying the city was currently at a low risk for COVID-19, based on the city's color-coded alert system which was inspired by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adams said the mandate would only be lifted if the conditions remain that way. According to the latest CDC data, which is based on reporting from the New York City health department, the city's seven-day case average rose above 1,000 on Monday for the first time since late February."

— The city is spending $30 million a month on Covid-19 testing in schools.

"NYC pastor with anti-gay views joins Mayor Adams' education policy panel in latest controversial hire," by New York Daily News' Chris Sommerfeldt and Michael Elsen-Rooney: "A Staten Island pastor with anti-gay views who once equated homosexuality to pedophilia was tapped for a seat on Mayor Adams' educational policy panel Tuesday, outraging LGBTQ advocates already furious over a string of other controversial hires by City Hall. Rev. Kathlyn Barrett-Layne, who leads Staten Island's Reach Out and Touch Ministries and worked as a city school principal, was among Adams' nine picks to the Panel for Educational Policy, which serves as a governing body for the city Department of Education, approving agency contracts. In a press release, Adams' office described Barrett-Layne as a seasoned minister who 'spends her time inspiring people with her speaking and teaching in Bible studies.' However, the press release did not reference some of Barrett-Layne's controversial writings on homosexuality unearthed by the Daily News."

"There is 'no evidence' bail reform rollback would cut crime: NYC Comptroller Brad Lander," by New York Daily News' Tim Balk: "A report from the city's comptroller's office published Tuesday found that New York State's controversial 2019 bail law has not driven a surge in rearrest rates, and that there is 'no evidence' that a rollback of the reform will curb the crime wave menacing New York City. The analysis from the office of Comptroller Brad Lander, a progressive Democrat, provided a rebuttal to a push for more restrictive bail laws that has been endorsed by Mayor Adams and appears to have gained the backing of Gov. Hochul. The study found the count of people facing bail in New York dropped by more than 40% from 2019 to 2021 and said that more restrictive bail rules would 'primarily serve to extract more money from vulnerable communities.'"

"Trash Town: Why is the world's richest city so filthy? And what can be done about it?" by Streetsblog's Christopher Robbins: "It wasn't quite 4 p.m. on a recent Friday afternoon, but the rats on Beaver Street were having the Early Bird Special. 'Every single time I'm on this block, it's like this,' Ali Marconi, a Financial District resident, told Streetsblog, as vermin darted in and out of the black plastic buffet put out by the luxury residential building 63 Wall Street. 'The bags take up the whole sidewalk, you can't even use the sidewalk. It's disgusting. It's terrible.' For Sunil Vyas and his young daughter Layla, trash days offer a sort of grim obstacle course. ... These scenes play out every day in every borough. The mountains of garbage bags waiting for collection that clog our curbs and sidewalks and serve as edible yurts for millions of rats are now as much of a New York City institution as the dollar slice and 24-hour subway service."

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — One in four Rikers Island correction officers were calling in sick each week as of February, according to an analysis by City Comptroller Brad Lander. The rate of staff calling in newly sick at the Department of Correction — excluding those absent for longer-term periods — began to rise again after falling in the fall and winter and reached a recent peak of 25 percent the week of Feb. 4. Total absenteeism, which has fueled crisis conditions at the jail complex, peaked at 27 percent from July through October 2021 — more than double the rates of other uniformed agencies, 10 percent for FDNY and 11 percent for Sanitation. ...

Lander's analysis also found that spending by DOC this fiscal year will be $1.34 billion, 7 percent higher than last year, even though the budget was supposed to be cut by 6 percent. Overtime spending reached $132 million from July through January — 71 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile violence has continued to increase, with the number of stabbings and slashings tripling in the 2022 fiscal year so far. Lander will release the findings as the City Council holds a hearing on the Correction budget today. — Erin Durkin

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WHAT ALBANY'S READING

How Hochul's policy opacity may be helping critics define her, by POLITICO's Bill Mahoney and Anna Gronewold: The steady backlash in recent days highlights what could be a growing problem for Hochul as she continues to define her young administration and as she seeks a full term in November. Her refusal to say what positions she's taking on some key issues is giving her opponents the ability to drive public discussion. It also completely removes the governor's powers of the bully pulpit to pressure lawmakers to join their side, critics said. "Her unwillingness to negotiate in public, it leaves a lot of questions about how sincere she is about making the changes," said Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt. "Why would Senator [Andrea] Stewart-Cousins and Speaker [Carl] Heastie — who have pretty much dug in up to this point and said they're not going to make changes — why are they going to make changes if the governor can't even defend her own plan? She's got to get them to move. If she's unwilling to defend her own plan in public, I don't see that happening," Ortt said.

Pro-Hochul ad blitz gearing up as governor's campaign holds back, for now, by POLITICO's Anna Gronewold: Red Horse Strategies, a main consultant for New York City mayor Eric Adams' winning campaign, said it is leading Empire State Forward, an independent expenditure campaign that will be launching a seven-figure pro-Hochul ad buy in the coming days. The initial target will be Democrats in New York City and the suburbs, which hold the majority of primary voters. Also on board will be Adams' media consultants Ralston Lapp, and Annie Weir, who ran fundraising for New York City mayor runner-up Kathryn Garcia.

" Progressives beware! Two NY super PACs raising $4M to back law-and-order candidates," by New York Post's Bernadette Hogan and Bruce Golding: "Two new super PACs plan to spend $4 million promoting law-and-order candidates for the state Legislature in the June primary elections — and even some Democrats are warning that it could cost progressives dearly, The Post has learned. The political action committees — Common Sense New Yorkers and Voters of NY — will back pols 'who value public safety' and support Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposed rollback of bail reform and related anti-crime measures, said treasurer Jeff Leb, a lobbyist and political consultant."

" New York's top court rules in favor of fantasy sports bets," by The Associated Press' Michael Hill: "New York's highest court ruled Tuesday that fantasy sports contests like those run by FanDuel and DraftKings are allowed under the state constitution, turning back a challenge to the popular games. The state Court of Appeals reversed an appeals court's decision last year that found interactive fantasy sports violated the state constitution's ban on gambling. The games allow players to assemble a roster of athletes in a sport, using individuals performance statistics to determine the winner. They annually bring in hundreds of millions in entrance fees statewide. The lawsuit was bought several years ago and did not target mobile sports betting, which began in New York earlier this year."

— Court of Appeals Justice Jenny Rivera is among four judges and 156 court employees who have not yet gotten vaccinated with two remaining weeks to do so.

" Debate over suspending New York's gas tax revs heats up," by Times Union's Brendan J. Lyons

#UpstateAmerica: It's March. That means the sap is running, and the sugar shacks are a hive of activity.

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FEELIN' 22

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — NYIC Action, the political arm of the New York Immigration Coalition, is endorsing Brittany Ramos DeBarros — the left-leaning candidate in a primary fight against ex-Rep. Max Rose on Staten Island that will decide who challenges Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis. NYIC Action is also backing left-leaning candidates for several state legislative seats: Yuh-Line Niou, an assemblymember who is mounting a primary challenge against state Sen. Brian Kavanaugh; Samy Nemir Olivares, who is challenging Erik Dilan for Assembly in Brooklyn; Juan Ardila for a vacant Assembly seat in Queens; Kristen Gonzalez for a newly-created Senate seat in Queens; and Sarah Blas for Senate in Staten Island and southern Brooklyn. — Erin Durkin

Biden and the Boroughs

"City tapped to get $188M in federal disaster relief," by NY1's Ari Ephraim Feldman: "The federal government is set to pay out a $188 million disaster relief grant to New York City, federal housing Secretary Marcia Fudge announced Tuesday. Mayor Eric Adams said that he is considering using the money to pay down city debt from recent disasters and for funding workforce development programs. The city's grant is part of a package of $2.2 billion in grants going to 10 cities and 13 states, earmarked for relief from 16 major disasters in 2021. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) had previously announced $722 million in payouts for disasters that occurred in 2020."

AROUND NEW YORK

— Hillary Clinton has Covid-19.

— A City Council member will introduce a bill to quadruple fines for landlords who fail to maintain self-closing doors.

— Bronx parents are objecting to the city schools chancellor's decision to eliminate executive superintendents.

— Transit advocates are pressing Gov. Kathy Hochul to support subway or bus expansion proposals to LaGuardia Airport, and steer clear of light rail options they say are too similar to ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo's scrapped AirTrain.

— A woman was arrested in the fatal shoving of a beloved Broadway vocal coach.

— The MTA is seeking proposals for the Bronx's first electric bus charging facility.

— The cherry blossoms are here.

— More Democrats want Mario Cuomo's name off the former Tappan Zee Bridge.

— New York's new driver's licenses have fancy security features.

— The city canceled plans for a Bronx homeless shelter that drew neighborhood opposition.

— A mother and her boyfriend were arrested in the death of an 8-year-old autistic boy in the Bronx.

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: Maggie Gage of OneMain Financial … Mike Berman of Citadel … McKinsey's Tara Maller … Michael Caputo is 6-0 … Daniel Bögre Udell

MAKING MOVES — Karla Wagner is joining Fenton Communications as chief people officer. She was formerly the head of people and culture at Finsbury Glover Hering. Adam Robles is also joining Fenton as senior vice president of corporate social good. He was formerly at Hyundai Motor America. … Gabriel Muller has launched his own editorial consultancy that specializes in narrative coaching, ghostwriting, and intensive writing trainings for business executives. Muller spent eight years at The Atlantic.

MEDIAWATCH — "BuzzFeed investors have pushed CEO Jonah Peretti to shut down entire newsroom, sources say," by CNBC's Alex Sherman

— Tom Namako is joining NBC News Digital as executive editor. He currently is deputy editor-in-chief at BuzzFeed, and is a WSJ and N.Y. Post alum.

ENGAGED — Jake Malowitz, the communications lead at Forum Brands, on Friday proposed to Emily Goldberg, the U.S. newsletter editor at the FT and a POLITICO alum. The couple met in high school, and he proposed on the rooftop of their apartment building.

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Real Estate

"With Pandemic Pause Over, NYC's Black Neighborhoods Brace for Foreclosures," by The City's George Joseph: "In the coming months, foreclosures like this one in East New York are likely to ramp up across the five boroughs. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, struggling homeowners were temporarily shielded by New York's foreclosure moratorium. But in January, state officials let the last of those protections expire. Now, with foreclosure courts and mortgage servicers ramping back up to full capacity, data suggests that the city's Black neighborhoods, devastated by the economic shocks of the pandemic and decades of prior predatory lending, are most at risk."

"NYC Slow to Issue Thousands of 'Once-in-a-Lifetime' Rent Vouchers for Homeless Residents," by City Limits' David Brand: "Ten months after the Biden Administration supplied New York City with a trove of new Section 8 vouchers to house homeless residents, just over 5 percent have actually been used to lease an apartment, federal data shows. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provided 7,788 emergency housing vouchers to two New York City housing agencies last May as part of the American Rescue Plan, a far-reaching stimulus package that distributed nearly 70,000 rent subsidies across the country."

" Loopholes Hobble Hochul's Proposal on Conviction-Based Housing Discrimination, Critics Charge," by New York Focus' Chris Gelardi: "Formerly incarcerated people in the United States are almost 10 times more likely to be homeless than the general public. That's partially driven by the fact that, in many states — like New York — property owners are allowed to reject potential tenants based solely on their criminal records. To remedy this, Governor Kathy Hochul has included a provision in her proposed budget legislation for next fiscal year that she says would prohibit landlords from 'automatically' denying housing to people with criminal convictions. Her proposal, however, contains large loopholes that would allow landlords and real estate brokers to continue to reject potential tenants because they were convicted of any of a vast array of crimes."

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