Day: March 18, 2025

Mayor Eric Adams has raised just $36,000 over the past three months in his tenuous re-election bid — a paltry sum that trails every one of his major Democratic primary competitors, according to his Tuesday filing with the city Campaign Finance Board (CFB).

The meager showing from Hizzoner, who had once been a prolific fundraiser, is further evidence that his re-election bid is sputtering in the wake of multiple scandals that have crippled his administration. Those include his federal corruption indictment, the mass exodus of his top aides, and President Trump moving to drop his federal case in what many believe was a quid pro quo for Adams’ cooperation on immigration enforcement.

A spokesperson for Adams’ campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

On Monday, the mayor boldly claimed that the rest of the Democratic field was catching up with him in raising money. Mayor Adams still has a little over $3 million in his campaign coffers from past fundraising, but he has now fallen behind many of his major competitors.

“Everyone is catching up to me,” Adams said. “I started raising early, and I was pleased with the team. So, they’re catching up to me.”

Eligible for paltry sum of public funds

After refunds, Adams will only net around $19,000 for the most recent CFB filing period, which stretched from mid-January to March 13.

Just $3,400 of that haul, which came from 38 donors, can be used to secure public matching funds — according to CFB records. With matching funds doled out on an 8-to-1 ratio, Mayor Adams’ campaign can receive $27,200 in public funding.

The chasm in campaign cash Mayor Adams is facing is especially stark when compared to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose campaign reported raising $1.5 million in just 13 days on Monday.

Cuomo, who is currently the frontrunner in the race, is vying for the same lane as Adams and has increasingly been overshadowing him. He has nabbed a slew of endorsements from pols and groups who had previously supported Adams and has dominated in the polls.

Other candidates who reported strong fundraising clips on Monday include Queens Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani and city Comptroller Brad Lander. 

Mayor Adams, meanwhile, does not have a visible campaign, and his struggles to raise money or win support have fueled speculation that he will not ultimately run for re-election. On Monday, he left the door open to the possibility of running as an Independent if he loses the Democratic primary.

Who gave, who received 

In addition to Adams’ inability to raise much private money, the CFB has repeatedly denied his claims for over $4 million in public matching funds. The board has cited his federal indictment on charges that include defrauding the city’s campaign finance system as its main reason for denying Adams the public dollars.

Among the mayor’s contributors was Rachel Lader, a lawyer who says she represents sexual abuse survivors at the firm Slater Slater Schulman, who gave him $2,100—the maximum donation amount. 

Jason Xia, a self-described professional poker player with an address in Dix Hills, Long Island, also gave Adams the maximum contribution.

The mayor’s campaign spent roughly $145,000 over the last three months. This includes $67,000 in disbursements to a firm called My Brnd Inc. for petitioning work and $27,500 to his campaign compliance attorney, Vito Pitta.

Adams also reported $20,000 in payments to Suggs Solutions LLC, the political consulting firm operated by Brianna Suggs, who was his chief fundraiser in 2021.

Suggs lost her job as Adams’ fundraiser but has continued to receive payments from his campaign after her home was raided by federal agents in late 2023 as part of the Manhattan US Attorney’s investigation that led to his indictment.

The Bay Ridge Center marked the first anniversary of its new location last week, capping nearly a decade of planning to expand services for Brooklyn’s older adults.

Founded in 1976, the organization has long served Brooklynites aged 60 and older. Its relocation from the basement of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church to its new facility at 15 Bay Ridge Ave. last year has allowed for expanded programming and greater accessibility, said Executive Director Todd Fliedner.

“What a first year it has been,” he told Brooklyn Paper. “Since opening last March 11 Bay Ridge Center has tripled its membership and currently offers over 90 programs weekly. BRC’s new location allows us to operate as the premiere older adult center in NYC and provide invaluable resources to adults 60-plus in Southwest Brooklyn so that they can most successfully age in place.”

The March 11 event doubled as an anniversary celebration and St. Patrick’s Day party, bringing together local officials, community members and staff for a day of music, food and reflection on the center’s growth over the past year.

Previously confined to a small space that limited program expansion, the Bay Ridge Center now operates in a modern facility that offers a range of amenities designed to support older adults. Through its partnership with the New York City Department for the Aging, the Bay Ridge Center provides members with daily hot meals, access to exercise equipment and instruction, arts programming, a computer room and various social services.

“We’d been in the basement of that church for 46 years,” Fliedner told Brooklyn Paper last year. “Bethlehem Lutheran Church was wonderful, but we had very little space — we had about 4,000 square feet. So now we’ve moved to 15 Bay Ridge Avenue in a two-floor space with 21,000 square feet and it’s all brand new.”

Donning festive St. Patrick’s Day beads and an ear-to-ear smile, Fliedner was excited to welcome Brooklyn Paper into the new space on the one-year anniversary.

“We are celebrating two very important occasions today,” he said. “It’s the first anniversary of our new space, and it’s our Senior Advisory Council’s St. Patrick’s Day party. We’ve got a packed house, live music, corned beef and cabbage, and Gerard Coughlin’s homemade Irish soda bread — he makes it for us every year, and it’s delicious.”

Representatives from the offices of U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis and State Assembly Member Michael Tannousis attended the event. Both officials have been strong supporters of the center, Fliedner said. Its relocation and expansion were made possible through significant financial support from reps like Malliotakis — who secured $2 million for the move — as well as Council Member Justin Brannan, State Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.

As the center continues to expand its programs and services, Fleedner encouraged more community members to take advantage of the resources available.

“Anyone who hasn’t been to the Bay Ridge Center should come and see all the great things we have to offer,” he said. “We’re growing and things are better than ever.”

Additional reporting by Arthur de Gaeta

PAPERWORK has been filed for three additional residential towers at Greenpoint Landing on the Brooklyn waterfront.

The post 30- and 40-story towers to come to Greenpoint   appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

Early Sunday morning, staff at Tribeca Pediatrics in Bay Ridge were shocked to find swastika graffiti defacing the clinic’s front door and walkway. In a powerful show of unity, the hate symbol was quickly erased and replaced with a red heart, symbolizing love over hate.

The graffiti was immediately reported to police, according to Leslie Pennypacker, executive director of Tribeca Pediatrics.

“This was shocking and incredibly painful to discover,” Pennypacker told Brooklyn Paper. “Tribeca Pediatrics has always valued our diverse staff and patient population, reflective of NYC. As a community pediatric practice, we aim to create a safe space for everyone regardless of background or belief.” 

In a show of good faith, the graffiti on the entryway of the pediatrician’s office, located near the corner of Bay Ridge Avenue and Third Avenue, has been removed and replaced with a painted red heart.

“Adding a small heart as a symbol that love is stronger than hate and that this act will not destroy the strong sense of community in this great neighborhood,” Pennypacker said.

In a joint statement on Facebook, local reps Council Member Justin Brannan and State Sen. Andrew Gounardes said they were informed of the graffiti early Sunday morning and that their offices quickly assisted with the clean-up effort.

“Antisemitism will not be tolerated by our offices or by this community, as demonstrated by the swift response of our staff and community members,” the pols said. “We will continue to ensure that Bay Ridge is safe and welcoming to all.”

Another instance of swastika graffiti was recently found in Brooklyn and reported to the NYPD. In December, the NYPD shared surveillance photos of an unidentified man drawing a swastika on the outside walls of St. Matthew Glorious United Church of God in Bushwick.

Police believe the symbol was drawn outside Tribeca Pediatrics around 5:30 a.m. on March 16. According to an NYPD spokesperson, the perpetrator has not been identified. The incident has been escalated to the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force, and the investigation is ongoing.