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Adams Comments on Tim Pearson Mayor Eric Adams finally addressed whether or not top aide Tim Pearson should be considered a credible witness in his own defense. THE CITY first reported that Pearson had been accused of physically assaulting a female guard at a migrant shelter on Oct. 17. With a Department of Investigation inquiry into the altercation underway, THE CITY revealed that in 2000, an NYPD judge found Pearson had impeded an internal investigation into a domestic incident while he was still on the force. As a result, Pearson was put on a list kept by the Bronx district attorney of cops with integrity issues. On Tuesday, Adams called Pearson, his longtime friend, a "sharp, ethical, nonviolent person" and expressed no reservations about his credibility as a witness in the ongoing probe. "If I didn't think he could do the job, he would not have been hired to do the job," the mayor said. "And he's doing the job. A number of things that he has done in innovative ways of running the city has been a real asset to me. I continue to have that position and the reviewers are going to do whatever they're going to do." The mayor did not answer THE CITY's question about whether Pearson has continued to make unannounced inspections of migrant shelters since the incident two weeks ago. — Greg B. Smith
City Council Debate Continues After Cameras Stop Rolling The City Council debate between Democratic incumbent Marjorie Velázquez and Republican challenger Kristy Marmorato on Tuesday afternoon kept going after the cameras stopped rolling, as the most competitive race in the Bronx took a personal turn. “This seat was never handed to me. I don’t get anything because my brother is there or … my husband,” Velázquez said in her final statement, referring to a Daily News story about the donations her opponent has received from employees at the city’s Board of Elections, where Marmorato’s husband Gino is the Republican commissioner. “Oh God,” Marmorato responded, as they spoke over each other. “Your husband was working for the mayor. Knock it off.” “He doesn’t work for the Board of Elections,” Velázquez replied as host Gary Axelbank concluded the debate. “How dare you make those allegations against me? How dare you? You are such a snake,” Marmorato shot back. She continued chastising Velázquez after the debate had concluded, saying that “My husband’s livelihood is at stake with the lies.” — Jonathan Custodio
New Funds for Office-to-Residential Conversions The federal government is committing as much as $35 billion to back office-to-residential conversions, outlining programs that could include loans, community development block grants, loan guarantees and tax credits. The Adams administration welcomed the funds, with Deputy Mayor Maria Torres Springer saying Tuesday that the city will be “opportunistic” in taking advantage of the new federal initiative. But New York City will be unable to exploit the program unless the state or city lifts barriers to conversion that include zoning restrictions, requirements for setbacks, open space and windows and the limit on the density of residential buildings, real estate experts say. The state legislature refused to act on related proposals earlier this year. The city will try to lift some of those restrictions in Adams’ next “City of Yes” housing amendment, expected in late 2024 at the earliest. — Greg David | 
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