Initially, Eric Adams, as already reported, wanted to give his 56-year-old brother Bernard, a retired NYPD sergeant, the high post of deputy police commissioner with a salary of $240,000 a year. But the backlash from the public and accusations of nepotism that rained down on the mayor led him to abandon the plan. But he did not give up the idea of ”pleasing his own little man.”
Now he has made his brother head of his security service. This position also belongs to the NYPD staffing table, but the rank is lower and the salary is lower – $ 210 thousand. True, the head of security cannot influence the policy of the police department, but constant proximity to the mayor will make Bernard Adams, albeit informally, an important person.
So, although from the outside it looks like a demotion, in fact it will not calm the opponents who accuse the mayor of nepotism. John Kehney, executive director of ethical government nonprofit Reinvent Albany, said: “A mayor should lead by example, but when he hires his brother, it sets an example of nepotism and conflict of interest. Not to mention it’s not exactly legal.”
What is legal in such cases? The City Charter prohibits elected leaders from providing in any form to their relatives and friends the opportunity to benefit financially at public expense. If there is a desire to hire someone from relatives, you must obtain special permission from the Board of Conflicts of Interest. Previous mayors did this, but they took their loved ones to unpaid positions.
Eric Adams did not coordinate anything with the Council. At least for now. Although his brother has already received a salary since December 30th. Mayor’s assistants explain this by saying that the mayor needs protection from the first day of his stay in office.
Although Adams promised during the campaign that he would do without a police escort, he now says he needs his brother’s services because “anarchist presence has increased in the city and white supremacist activities are a serious problem.”
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