Adams’ clearance? It’s top secret. (2024)

By Joe Anuta, Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman

With Timmy Facciola

“The federal government makes a determination of security clearance, and you have to reach out to them,” Mayor Eric Adams said when asked by a reporter Tuesday. | Angelina Katsanis/POLITICO

New York Minute: Outgoing New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks is now stepping down this month, rather than serving out through the end of the year after his phone was seized in a federal investigation, POLITICO’s Madina Touré scooped Wednesday night.

City Hall is buzzing about whether there will be more resignations to come among Mayor Eric Adams’ top staff.

HUSH-HUSH: Adams had a message Wednesday for New Yorkers worried about an increased threat of violence ahead of the Jewish High Holidays and Oct. 7: Everything is under control.

But how privy Adams is to the details of any potential threat is an open question, POLITICO’s Joe Anuta reports.

Federal law enforcement officials have likely reexamined the mayor’s security clearance after he was indicted last week over an alleged bribery scheme involving the Turkish government, according to several national security experts.

While Adams has pleaded not guilty to the charges, he and his team have declined to say whether the Democrat is still receiving the same level of intelligence from federal law enforcement authorities as he was beforehand.

Accepting bribes from foreign officials is precisely the type of allegation that would raise the eyebrows of federal authorities in charge of deciding which state and local officials are allowed access to secret information so sensitive that, should it be leaked, might threaten national security.

“There’s a definite possibility his clearance could be revoked or suspended just given the nature of the allegations and how [federal authorities] go about determining security clearances,” Joseph Maher, a partner at Nixon Peabody and former chief intelligence officer at the Department of Homeland Security, said in an interview. “It would be surprising to me if nothing has happened to it.”

Risk factors that can make someone vulnerable to being leveraged into parting with sensitive information generally include debt, criminal history, substance abuse or involvement with foreign governments.

“Because he’s still the mayor, and because he plays such an essential role, it’s not a given they would take away his clearance,” John Sandweg, another Nixon Peabody attorney who was acting general counsel at DHS, said in an interview. “But the problem for him is that this indictment goes right into what they are most concerned about: vulnerabilities relating to foreign actors.”

Adams himself declined to shed any light on the situation.

“The federal government makes a determination of security clearance, and you have to reach out to them,” Adams said when asked by a reporter Tuesday.

A City Hall spokesperson did not elaborate, referring POLITICO back to the mayor’s initial answer, adding that he’s still getting briefed.

How detailed that briefing would be, however, could vary depending on whether Adams has maintained the top secret clearance typical for mayors and police commissioners.

Can Adams still enter the secure room in police headquarters, where the most privileged intelligence is shared? Their lips are sealed.

HAPPY THURSDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.

A message from Uber:

New York City Uber riders pay $700 Million in taxes and fees annually* That’s more than the entire budget for New York City Parks Department. *Based on trips originating from NYC in 2023. Learn more.

WHERE’S KATHY? In New York City with no public schedule.

WHERE’S ERIC? Attending Rosh Hashanah services for the Jewish New Year, and later participating in a live interview on the “El Pacha Oficial” YouTube channel.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We will get access to it at some point.” — Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagan Scotten, remarking in court that prosecutors still have not managed to unlock Adams’ cell phone they seized nearly a year ago, calling it “a significant wild card” in the case.

US Attorney Damian Williams unveiled charges against Mayor Eric Adams last week. | Peter K. Afriyie/AP

WHAT DAMIAN WILLIAMS IS READING: Every major bribery case has them — the eyebrow-raising details about how public officials are allegedly bought off. Maybe it’s a Rolex, cold hard cash (literally) or gold bars. In the case of Adams, it was his apparent penchant for luxury air travel and hotels in Turkey that may have done him in.

But as it stands now, the criminal case against Adams is not a sure thing — particularly on the headline-grabbing bribery charge that has predictably garnered the most attention, POLITICO’s Ankush Khardori writes in a column out today.

Over the last 25 years, the Supreme Court has steadily eroded federal public anti-corruption law, and Congress — whose members have been among the principal beneficiaries — has sat idly by. As a result, it would be a mistake to assume that Adams is doomed to a conviction, at least based on what we currently know about the case.

Adams still faces grave legal danger. It’s very possible that the indictment could generate new leads and cooperators for the government, which is not unusual, and that could in turn lead to more federal criminal charges against Adams. Prosecutors themselves flagged this possibility at a court hearing Wednesday.

But the filing of the indictment last week, which was done under no apparent time pressure, suggests that this is the best that prosecutors currently have against Adams after several years of investigating. And on its face, it is not exactly the most damning account of public corruption in the country’s history.

The mayor has considered Ingrid Lewis-Martin essential for nearly two decades. | Peter K. Afriyie/AP

RIDE OR DIE: Investigators from two different prosecutor’s offices greeted Adams’ Chief Adviser Ingrid Lewis-Martin at the airport Friday, taking her phones and handing her a subpoena just as she was returning from an ill-timed vacation to Japan. At the same time, agents were raiding her home.

Lewis-Martin recounted it live on the radio that night, saying if folks in the administration had done something illegal, it wasn’t enough to warrant THAT.

It all put Lewis-Martin under a harsh spotlight she had surprisingly managed to avoid, POLITICO writes in a new profile of Adams’ id, the devoutly religious Christian chaplain who’s just as likely to invoke God as she is to curse somebody out.

The mayor has considered Lewis-Martin essential for nearly two decades. To understand him, it is essential to understand her.

“They are ride or die,” said a person who worked with them both told Playbook. “It’s not a relationship that’s going to go away.” — Jeff Coltin

More from the city:

— The treasurer for unsuccessful Brooklyn borough president candidate Anthony Jones was charged in a failed straw donor scheme. (Daily News)

— The city’s Law Department is bankrolling legal fees for three city employees ensnared in criminal investigations — including Molly Schaeffer, the recently-subpoenaed director of Asylum Seeker Operations. (Daily News)

— What Black voters have been saying about Adams since his indictment. (New York Times)

Josh Riley is vying to unseat freshman Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro in a tight race that could decide control of the House. | josh Riley for Congress/AP

HUD$ON VALLEY HAUL: Democratic congressional candidate Josh Riley will report a $2.8 million haul for his campaign plus $300,000 for his PAC for the last quarter, his team told Playbook.

He’s vying to unseat freshman Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro in a tight race that could decide control of the House.

“We are building a winning coalition of Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and first-time voters demanding better than what career politicians have given us,” Riley said in a statement. Riley’s campaign said 94 percent of his donations were under $100.

Molinaro campaign spokesperson Dan Kranz said Riley will “waste every penny,” saying voters associate his opponent with Hochul, Adams and their policies on migrants. Molinaro is unveiling a new ad today that slams Democrats who give “free stuff” to migrants, referencing hotels provided as temporary shelter and prepaid debit cards for food and baby supplies.

Riley has readily criticized members of his own party, including President Joe Biden, on immigration and border security.

Molinaro’s campaign declined to provide an update on their fundraising but has been making preparations for what is certain to be a contentious October. — Timmy Facciola

A message from Uber:

Thirty-eight members of the Legislature on Wednesday, in a letter to Hochul, urged her to sign the legislation, known as the TREES Act. | Daniel Barry/Getty Images

SPEAKING FOR THE TREES: New York state would no longer do business with companies that provide products derived from tropical rainforests under a bill being pushed by state lawmakers and environmental organizations.

Thirty-eight members of the Legislature on Wednesday, in a letter to Hochul, urged her to sign the legislation, known as the TREES Act.

“Not only can the TREES Act be successfully implemented, it will enhance New York's global role as an environmental leader, and boost New York businesses in the process,” they wrote in the letter. “This is no time to be stepping away from our responsibility to tackle climate change.”

The wood products industry has lobbied against the measure. — Nick Reisman

THE RIGHT STUFF: The Conservative Party managed to find some bright spots in the Democratic-dominated state Legislature.

The influential party on Wednesday released its annual policy scorecard that found 13 lawmakers — out of 150 members — scored a perfect rating.

The average rating in the state Senate stood at 41.2 percent; in the Assembly, it was 39.5 percent.

Those are low numbers, even if they are marginally high — making support for right-leaning legislation all the less likely.

The scores were based on more than a dozen bills — including measures that would require polluters to pay for the effects of climate change, lift the ban on convicted felons from serving as jurors, and a rollback of pension reform.

And yet the party could point to some success that factored into the scores.

The organization, for instance, supported the new law that blocks social media platforms from providing algorithmic-based feeds for child users that Hochul signed earlier this year.

Regulating social media firms has support on the political left and right as skepticism over big tech companies has increased in recent years.

“With Democrats driving this state to the far left fringes, voters need to know who’s got the fortitude to stand toe to toe with them, and who doesn’t,” Chairman Gerard Kassar said. “The slight uptick in Conservative ratings this year reflects a powerful desire to make New York functional again.” — Nick Reisman

More from Albany:

— Hochul is flexing her power as she urges Adams to clean house in his administration. (Gothamist)

— Insurers in New York will be required to cover prenatal vitamins under a measure approved by Hochul. (Newsday)

— Albany’s disappointing nightlife could be boosted with a repeal of the city’s cabaret license. (Times Union)

— The NYPD is adding more security cameras and putting more specially trained K-9 units on the streets ahead of Monday’s anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. (Newsday)

— Amtrak and the commuter railroads that use Pennsylvania Station in New York City say they have no choice but to take some property in midtown Manhattan to make the station bigger. (New York Times)

— Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand raised $180,000 to split among three frontline New York Democrats over the weekend. (Axios)

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Edited by Daniel Lippman

PLAYBOOK REAL ESTATE SECTION: “Ex-Eric Adams Chief of Staff Asking $5.1M for Waterfront Brooklyn Mansion After 25% Price Cut,” by Mansion Global’s Chava Gourarie: “The former right-hand man of the New York City Mayor Eric Adams has slashed the price on a 10,000-square-foot Brooklyn mansion by more than 25%, and is now asking $5.1 million. The sellers are Diane and Frank V. Carone, a lawyer who previously served as chief of staff to Adams …

“Despite the discount last month, the house remains the priciest listing in Mill Basin, a peninsular neighborhood jutting out of the Brooklyn shoreline where a concentration of large mansions, many with docks and pools, are among the priciest homes in the borough.”

MEDIAWATCH: “Rob Finnerty to Take Over 8 P.M. Hour on Newsmax: Finnerty, currently a morning show host for the conservative cable news channel, will take over the hour most recently led by Eric Bolling,” by Hollywood Reporter’s Alex Weprin

MAKING MOVES: Ashley DiNardo has joined Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies as a senior principal in the New York office. She was previously a principal at Capalino and is an alum of the NYC Mayor’s Office and City Council.

OUT AND ABOUT: Global Strategy Group on Wednesday hosted its regular series, The Inside Scoop with GSG. Andrew Kimball, head of NYC EDC, discussed a range of economic issues, including its “Harbor of the Future” campaign.

SPOTTED: Rich Baum, CEO of Educational Alliance; Jonathan Bowles of the Center for an Urban Future; Andrew Raisej of Civic Hall; Carl Weisbrod of HR&A Advisors; Google’s William Floyd; Josh Levin from the Motion Picture Association; Joan McDonald, director of operations for Westchester County; Bishop Mitchell Taylor of Urban Upbound; and Liz Lusskin of Empire State Development.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rev. Al Sharpton … Bradley Tusk … Jessica Ramos Chief Astrid Aune … New Spirit Advisory’s Noah Gotbaum … Apex’s Daniel Marks Cohen … Rolling Stone’s Asawin Suebsaeng … AP’s Darlene Superville and Verena Dobnik … Sarah Feinberg … Maegan Vazquez … Tusk Strategies’ Cristóbal Alex … MSNBC’s Yasmin Vossoughian … Joshua Chaffee … Chelsea-Leigh Radler … Maury Nolen … (WAS WEDNESDAY): Annie Leibovitz ... Alexander B. Fullman ... Donna Karan ... Bruce Blakeman ... Gary Tuchman

Missed Wednesday’s New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.

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