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City Comptroller Brad Lander is urging the administration of Mayor Eric Adams to nix a contract extension that would steer nearly $20 million to a hotel owner who was indicted last month in an alleged corruption scheme involving one of her government-funded Queens properties.
THE CITY, The Guardian and Documented published a series of investigations last year highlighting hotel owner Weihong Hu’s tight relationship with Adams, including fundraisers for Adams’ election at that hotel, the former Wyndham Garden in Fresh Meadows. Some donors to Adams’ 2025 campaign said Hu reimbursed them, which is illegal.
Last month, the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney brought an indictment against Hu and the CEO of the nonprofit Exodus Transitional Community, alleging that she bribed the executive to house inmates served by the nonprofit at two of her hotels as part of a city-sponsored arrangement to house recently incarcerated people.
“Ripping off funds meant to provide housing to people transitioning off Rikers is obscene,” said Lander. “My office joins local elected officials, who rang the alarm on this, in calling on the mayor’s office to immediately halt its plans to renew this contract because doling out $20 million to an individual indicted for fraud against the city is an abuse of taxpayer dollars.”
Read more here about the comptroller’s plea to reject Hu’s hotel from continued contracting with the city — and the mayor’s long relationship with the indicted hotel owner.
Weather ☀️
Around 60 and sunny again. Get outside today before it gets colder and rainy!
MTA 🚇
There are no trains at N, Q, R and W stations in Manhattan overnight all week — some of the trains are rerouted, and some end early. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.
Alternate side parking 🚙
It’s in effect today, Mar. 19.
By the way…
Eric Adams announced a new exhibit on the history of reproductive rights in New York City, hosted by the city Department of Records and Information Services. Visit the exhibit in the Municipal Archives building until April 30.
Our Other Top Stories
The city Department of Homeless services is trying out some new rules that would create new grounds for kicking residents out of city shelters: if they fail to maintain active public benefits cases, turn down a housing placement or repeatedly violate shelter rules, then they can be denied housing. DHS says this is to increase “accountability” for the agency and its clients — but advocates for the homeless say the change “makes no sense” and will result in a surge in street homelessness.
Under any other circumstances, the Democratic mayoral incumbent would cruise to reelection with the backing of the major unions that propelled him to victory in 2021. Instead, support for the mayor has cratered and the field remains wide open. With less than 100 days left before early voting begins, who the union kingmakers will endorse remains a question mark.
Adams’ re-election campaign severely lags behind his competitors in the latest fundraising haul, as his base appears to be dwindling months before the primary. Over the last two-month period, the Adams campaign spent 10 times as much as it brought in, including a 10,000-a-month consulting fee to a fundraiser whose home was raided by federal investigators.
Sign up for our weekly election newsletter, RANKED CHOICES.
Things To Do
Here are some free and low-cost things to do around the city this week.
Wednesday, Mar. 19: Join the National Book Foundation to celebrate three books at the intersection of science and literature with readings and conversation with the authors. The Cooper Union, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Mar. 19: Attend a concert by the NYU Symphony Orchestra, which will be performing pieces that won the NYU Steinhardt Film Scoring Composition Competition. Iris Cantor Theater in Manhattan, 8 p.m.
Thursday, Mar. 20: Celebrate the first day of spring on a hike through the Greenbelt, Staten Island’s flagship park. 11 a.m.
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