Mayor Eric Adams made waves following reports that he would be appointing his brother to a top role in the NYPD, but he has since scaled back the position, leaving his kin to look after the mayoral security detail.
Last Friday, the New York Post first reported that Bernard Adams, a retired police sergeant, would be joining his brother’s administration as a deputy NYPD commissioner. The move immediate drew charges of nepotism and raised questions about the legality of the appointment. The city’s charter states, “No public servant shall use or attempt to use his or her position as a public servant to obtain any financial gain, contract, license, privilege or other private or personal advantage, direct or indirect, for the public servant or any person or firm associated with the public servant” including siblings.
At the time, Adams defended selecting his brother for the role, adding that the Conflicts of Interest Board would review the appointment.
“Let me be clear on this: My brother is qualified for the position. Number one, he will be in charge of my security, which is extremely important to me in a time when we see an increase in white supremacy and hate crimes. I have to take my security in a very serious way,” Adams told CNN.
But city officials tell the New York Times that Bernard Adams’s role has been changed to “executive director of mayoral security” and will come with a salary of $210,000, a pay cut from deputy commissioner. Bernard Adams has worked most recently as the assistant director for parking at Virginia Commonwealth University, as listed on his LinkedIn page.
This isn’t the most recent hiring choice of the new mayor that has raised eyebrows. Last week, it was announced that Philip Banks would be named deputy mayor for public safety, essentially overseeing the Police Department. Banks, a former NYPD chief, was previously implicated in a federal bribery investigation. He was never charged with a crime.
