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Dear New Yorkers,

New York City historians will mark 2024 as the year Mayor Eric Adams got indicted on corruption charges by federal prosecutors and much of his administration’s top leadership resigned under probe.

In fact, so much has happened, so fast, that it can be hard to keep track of how this extraordinary series of events unfolded. So we’re presenting this special edition of SCOOP to take stock of the past year and prepare for 2025 — New York City’s first-ever election with a criminally charged incumbent in the running.

Jan. 18: THE CITY reveals that Con Sofrito, a restaurant and bar owned by a brother of NYPD commissioner Edward Caban — a popular spot for police officers where Adams celebrated his birthday — operates an illegal party space. The State Liquor Authority subsequently opens an investigation.

Feb. 1: Donors to Adams’ reelection campaign tell THE CITY, The Guardian and Documented that the owners of a Queens hotel funded via city shelter contracts reimbursed them, which is illegal. Adams’ lead Chinese community liaison, Winnie Greco, stayed at the hotel for months with no evidence she paid.

Feb. 5: Adams campaign fundraiser Dwayne Montgomery pleads guilty in a straw donor scheme.

Feb. 29: The FBI raids Greco’s homes and the New World Mall, a hub of Adams campaign fundraising investigated by THE CITY and Documented.

March 20: After Chinese billionaire Hui Qin pleads guilty to making fraudulent donations to his mayoral campaign, Adams claims Qin is just one of thousands of people he met on the trail. Documented and THE CITY reveal that Adams named Qin’s wife, Emma Liu, to an advisory board and hosted her at Gracie Mansion and a campaign fundraiser.

May 23: An investigation by the CITY, The Guardian and Documented finds two longtime Adams associates, Al Cockfield and John Sampson, appealed to the city Department of Buildings to lift emergency orders to stop work at two of Weihong Hu’s Manhattan hotel developments.

June 13: The Department of Buildings orders work stopped at one of Hu’s two midtown hotel projects, where she illegally demolished affordable apartments.

June 17: Adams claimed he had paid for trips to Colombia and Mexico during the migrant crisis — but his new filings to the city ethics agency show those governments funded his travel.

July 19: Campaign filings show contributions that exceeded legal limits poured into Eric Adams’ reelection bid.

July 23: An internal NYPD judge rejects a disciplinary case charging that Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey abused his authority in voiding a retired colleague’s arrest, in an incident exposed by THE CITY.

July 30: A lawsuit, the latest of several from a city operations unit, alleges Adams advisor Timothy Pearson sexually harassed a subordinate and retaliated against colleagues who aided her. Adams defends Pearson.

Aug. 21: Adams waves off reports he received a federal grand jury subpoena. “We’re going to let this run its course, it’s all about a process and we’re not going to interfere with the process. We’re going to cooperate with the process.”

Sept. 5: Federal investigators search the homes and devices of First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, her fiance Schools Chancellor David Banks, and his brother Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks. THE CITY is the first to break the news. Police Commissioner Edward Caban and other NYPD officials are also the target of raids.

Sept. 9: THE CITY examines the role of a third Banks brother, Terence, in connecting a Florida tech company seeking city contracts with the Department of Education.

Sept. 12: Caban resigns — but not before watering down NYPD misconduct rules to protect cops from consequences.

Sept. 22: THE CITY reports that Pearson held up migrant shelter services contracts for months, as reports surface that he sought “crumbs” from city contracts — and that a Philip Banks-founded company landed on a short list of companies approved to provide shelter security without bids.

Sept. 24: David Banks announces his retirement.

Sept. 26: Grand jury indictment against Eric Adams is unsealed. It alleges that in exchange for fire department approvals, he accepted travel gifts from Turkish government officials and illegal campaign donations, including contributions he knew to have been falsified in order to be eligible for public matching dollars. Adams pleads not guilty.

Sept. 27: Ingrid Lewis-Martin, Adams’ chief advisor, is served a grand jury subpoena shortly after she lands at JFK Airport after a trip to Japan. Among her travel companions was city real estate official Jesse Hamilton, who like Lewis-Martin had his phone confiscated by law enforcement.

Sept. 30. Pearson resigns. Echoing language in a recent Supreme Court ruling that made it tougher to prove bribery cases, Adams’ criminal lawyer calls travel gifts from Turkish officials “gratuities.”

Oct. 4: Wright resigns.

Oct. 7: Philip Banks and Greco resign.

Oct. 8: An Adams fundraiser is charged with interfering in the FBI’s investigation of phony campaign donations.

Oct. 11: THE CITY details real estate leases overseen by Hamilton — including a pending deal steered to mayoral donors. A City Council member demands answers, and a hearing later confirms Hamilton intervened.

Oct. 16: Adams has an expensive legal team and no clear way to pay for it, THE CITY reveals.

Nov. 13: THE CITY surfaces a video documenting an exclusive 2021 Adams fundraising party that contradicts claims his campaign made to the public matching funds program in obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Nov. 14: Adams’ first deputy mayor puts Hamilton lease deal on “pause” pending a review.

Nov. 18: Hu is hit with a federal search warrant.

Nov. 19: Department of Investigation opens probe of Hamilton’s deals.

Nov. 27: Rev. Al Cockfield also got a search warrant in Hu hotel probe, while a buildings commissioner helps ensure demolished affordable apartments return.

Dec. 16: The Campaign Finance Board denies Adams $4 million in public matching funds, citing indictment and unsatisfactory responses.

Dec. 19: Lewis-Martin is indicted in Manhattan Supreme Court on bribery charges.

Dec. 20: Maddrey resigns as a former subordinate alleges he demanded sex from her in exchange for NYPD overtime.

Weather ⛅️

Mostly sunny, and a bit warmer than yesterday.

MTA 🚇

There’s reduced service on the 4 in the Bronx, and alternate Bronx-bound trains stop at 167 St. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.

Alternate side parking 🚙

It’s in effect today, Dec. 27.

By the way…

Need a refresher on all the people in our Adams’ timeline? Here’s a guide to the family and friends the mayor relies on.

Our Other Top Stories

Doctors who have been found guilty of medical misconduct, negligence, incompetence and even felonies have found jobs working in the New York state prison system. In an investigation published last week, THE CITY details how these physicians make up a disproportionate number of the prison system’s full-time doctors and explores serious allegations of misconduct and neglect brought by incarcerated patients.   The fastest-growing union in New York is the Home Healthcare Workers of America, a group  that’s hitching its success to the muti-billion-dollar, government-funded home health care industry. Even though HHWA is signing up dozens of company owners to agree to union contracts, workers from these companies told THE CITY they had no idea they were in a union — even though the union takes dues from them every month.  And if you haven’t gotten the chance yet, check out our Year in Photos. From protests to parades, our photojournalists documented moments that captivated the city in 2024.

Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Wednesday, Dec. 25 - Jan. 2: Come for the menorah, stay for the latkes: you can light one of the world’s largest menorahs at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn every night of Hanukkah. Start times vary.  Thursday, Dec. 26 - Monday, Dec. 30: Celebrate Kwanzaa at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum with cultural performances, hands-on workshops, and candle lighting ceremonies. 10 a.m to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28: Start 2025 with a clean slate by saying “good riddance” to all your mistakes from the past year. Broadway, between 43rd and 44th. 12 p.m.

THE KICKER: On this day in 1927, Show Boat opened on Broadway: one of the most influential musicals of Broadway history, Show Boat featured an integrated cast, serious themes and was the first example of musical theater storytelling as we know it today.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Friday.

Love,

THE CITY

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