Corruption may still plague NYC, but Tammany Hall is now a Petco

An angry @NYCMayor just went after @C_Sommerfeldt for co-bylining this story about Jasmine Ray’s memoir, where she alludes to some sexual encounter in Brooklyn Borough Hall. He calls Chris “sick” https://t.co/Z6S8b7PzQY The book excerpt:

While he’ll sometimes open press conferences by quickly addressing big breaking news, Adams has yet to mention anything about Attorney General Letitia James getting indicted by federal prosecutors yesterday.

Mayor Adams is back from Albania and holding a presser with Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch at Times Square, touting the one year anniversary of his outreach program sending police officers and clinicians to address homelessness on the subways.

NY Gov. Hochul also vetoed a bill that would've required the Instacarts and Uber Eats of the world to disclose if their online grocery prices are different than the price in the store. (Background here: https://t.co/e1NBjK51aK) Hochul's veto memo here:

Mayor Eric Adams, who claimed his own indictment was the result of a politicized Justice department under Biden, has yet to comment on the James indictment.

City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Council Member Crystal Hudson are also here, as is 2021 mayoral candidate Maya Wiley. Bichotte Hermelyn thanks Mamdani for “bringing all us women together” to speak out against the indictment today.

“That is simply not the energy that we need,” Velazquez says of Andrew Cuomo’s statement yesterday that appeared to address the indictment without actually using James’ name. Velazquez also says that James has beaten Trump in court before and will do it again.

Rep. Nydia Velazquez, Dem mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, Brooklyn Dem leader Rodneyse Bichotte-Hermelyn and more are in Manhattan this afternoon, speaking out against the indictment of Letitia James as blatant political retribution by Donald Trump.

INBOX: @ebottcher raises more than $683K in the first 24 hours after he filed to run for Jerry Nadler's seat

NYC Comptroller Brad Lander to President Trump after news of AG Letitia James' federal indictment: "You keep your grubby, corrupt, criminal, abusive, weak, cowardly hands off New York State Attorney General Tish James"

The feds claim NY state AG Letitia James committed "bank fraud" because she got a 3% mortgage rate on a house that she said she'd use as a second home, but then she rented it out instead – so she should have paid 3.185%, a difference of about $19,000.

Zohran Mamdani's favorability is slightly down in new Quinnipiac poll, while Curtis Sliwa's and Andrew Cuomo's are slightly up since Sept. Cuomo appears to benefit from Eric Adams' exit, narrowing the gap, but Mamdani maintains a double digit lead over him among likely voters.

🚨Czar alert 🚨 Talking about the economic opportunity that next year’s World Cup presents, Mamdani says he will appoint a World Cup czar in his administration to take advantage of that opportunity and help small and neighborhood businesses benefit

It’s a pretty packed house here to see Zohran Mamdani at an ABNY event this morning. It’s the business and civic organization’s first in a mayoral candidate series. Reps. Jerry Nadler (who has endorsed Mamdani) and Greg Meeks (who hasn’t) are here, ABNY says.

Mandela Jones, a spokesman for City Council speaker Adrienne Adams, on Cuomo’s Rikers plan: "This isn't a plan; it's a political scam with no basis in facts or reality. It would cost the city billions of dollars more and make our city less safe for all New Yorkers."

Sliwa addresses the big q first: why he’s staying in the race? He says that after Cuomo lost the primary to Mamdani everyone told him to drop out so Adams could be “the savior.” If he’d listened? “What an idiot I would have been!” Sliwa says, referencing Adams dropping out.

Curtis Sliwa is up first without!!!! his trademark red beret — a fact he immediately points out. He takes a trip down memory lane, recalling how he first began wearing the hat while founding the organization that would eventually become the Guardian Angels in the 1970s.

“Every day I grow older,” Mamdani jokes when asked about concerns about his youth and inexperience. He declines to cite any specific names he’s considering for top appointments within his potential future administration, but says he’s embarking on a broad, comprehensive search.

Mamdani says he’s yet to take a position on the housing-related proposals set to appear on the ballot this November - three of which are being ardently opposed by the City Council. He says he’s consulting with people both for and against them as he forms his opinion.

This morning, the NYC mayoral candidates are participating in a forum hosted by Crain’s. Zohran Mamdani is first, quoting Jeff Bezos - (or as he puts it, “a man whose tax burden I’d like to significantly raise”) - on how innovation often initially comes with misunderstanding.