WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City NYC News Journal Update - the city THE CITY THE CITY - SCOOP: The FBI Probe Into Adams Campaign Centers on Donations That Triggered Previous Questions

 

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If you know anyone who might like this newsletter, send it to them. If this was sent to you by someone else, subscribe here — it's free!  Dear New Yorkers, On Thursday morning, Mayor Eric Adams abruptly cut short a visit to Washington, D.C. — where he’d been scheduled to meet with senior White House officials about the migrant crisis — and returned to New York to deal with “a matter,” as his spokesperson put it.  That matter turned out to be FBI agents raiding the Crown Heights home of Brianna Suggs, a top fundraiser for Adams winning 2021 mayoral campaign currently working as a fundraiser for his 2025 re-election bid and for the Adams-associated political action committee, Striving for a Better New York. Internal documents obtained by THE CITY show that city regulators repeatedly asked Adams’ mayoral campaign about a cluster of donations that are now part of the federal probe into Suggs, and that the campaign did not respond as required to those questions.   At issue are contributions that came from employees of KSK Construction Company, a Brooklyn-based firm whose founders hail from Turkey, according to The New York Times. The federal government is looking into whether the Adams team worked with the construction company and the Turkish government to inject foreign money into the campaign using straw donors — people listed as having donated but who did not actually do so, or who were reimbursed.  When contacted by THE CITY on Thursday, multiple people listed in Adams 2021 campaign donation records as KSK employees either said they did not donate to Eric Adams or refused to state whether they had done so. One Queens resident whose name appears in campaign records told THE CITY that he did not recall donating to the Eric Adams campaign, and that he doesn’t believe he has ever donated to a political campaign in his life. Read more here. Some other items of note: Southern Brooklyn Councilmember Inna Vernikov appeared in Brooklyn Criminal Court on Thursday morning, where she was arraigned on a gun charge. Vernikov allegedly brought a firearm to a pro-Palestinian student rally that she was counter-protesting. Vernikov, who has an NYPD permit to carry a gun, is charged with violating a state law passed last year that bans firearms at “sensitive locations” including protests. This is the first time the new law has been deployed in Brooklyn, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office. The class E felony can result in between one and four years in prison — though that’s unlikely for a first offense.  A state court judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by two Queens co-ops that sought to overturn the city’s Local Law 97, which seeks to slash carbon emissions from buildings, on the grounds that a preexisting green law preempted it — and that it amounts to improper taxes. To comply with LL97, property owners can either physically alter their buildings or purchase credits that support renewable energy projects, which the plaintiffs said their buildings could not afford to do. In the ruling, the judge disagreed with that assessment. In a major win for drivers —  and New York attorney general Letitia James — Uber and Lyft have agreed to a settlements totaling $328 million in connection to allegations that the companies stole drivers’ earnings. Uber will pay $290 million and Lyft $38 million into separate funds that will be paid directly to drivers. The two companies also agreed to provide sick leave and with minimum base pay starting at $26 an hour to their drivers across the state. Election Day is next Tuesday, early voting began last weekend for local city contests — and only about 46,000 New Yorkers have voted so far. Not sure where to go, or who’s running? Find your poll site and sample ballot here. Read up on races to watch in the City Council — especially if you live in The Bronx, Queens or southern Brooklyn, where there are several close contests. Check out THE CITY’s interactive guide to learn about your newly drawn City Council district. And, in case you missed it, here’s a guide to judge races, and why only four of 22 contests are competitive.  Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Friday's Weather Rating: 8/10. Chilly again this morning, but warming up a bit more this afternoon with high temperatures in the upper 50s. Lots of sunshine and a great breeze, too. The vibes are pretty dang good out there! Things To Do Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.   Saturday, Nov. 4: Fall Splendor Tour, a leaf peeping event at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Free with admission, 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.  Saturday, Nov. 4: Break down your decorative gourds at the Hudson River Park’s Pumpkin Smash. Bats, hammers and shovels are available for use. Pier 84 at W. 44 St. in Manhattan. Free from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5: Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. Turn back your clocks, switch on your SAD lamp, and enjoy the extra hour of sleep.  THE KICKER: Former NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell has a new job as head of security for the New York Mets. Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Friday. Love, THE CITY P.S. Love THE CITY? Our nonprofit newsroom runs on support from readers like you. Donate here.

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