| | | | |  | | By Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman | | | With help from Jason Beeferman
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As the Adult Survivors Act neared expiration, powerful men like Mayor Eric Adams and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo were faced with lawsuits. | Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images | “New York City stands behind anyone who comes forward to share their story,” Mayor Eric Adams’ account tweeted after the state Legislature passed the Adult Survivors Act in May 2022. “Public safety and justice must go hand in hand.” Now, as the lookback window was closing for civil sexual misconduct claims, a woman has accused Adams of sexually assaulting her in 1993. He’s not standing behind her. “I support the law. I think it should be used and not abused,” Adams told MSNBC on Sunday. “I have no idea why this was brought forth. I don’t recall ever meeting this person.” Other powerful figures faced Adult Survivors Act lawsuits as the legislation was expiring. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo will be sued by aide Brittany Commisso, who had a criminal case dropped by Albany County prosecutors. A campaign aide accused former President Donald Trump campaign spokesperson Jason Miller of rape. New York City Board of Elections lawyer Steven Richman was accused of sexual misconduct in a summons, too. But none had the potential political punch of the Adams case, which the mayor said was “absolutely not true” in multiple media appearances and interviews over the holiday weekend. There’s a lot we don’t know. The plaintiff, whose name is being withheld by Playbook, filed just a notice of claim with limited information. A full complaint is expected to follow. Neither she nor her lawyer Megan Goddard responded to multiple requests for comment. It’s worth noting the woman has filed frequent lawsuits and numerous appeals at many levels and appears to have lost her most high-profile cases. After she fell down trying to sit in a wheelchair at an airport, she sued American Airlines for negligence and lost. The opposing lawyers argued that she couldn’t prove she was injured from the fall, because she’d previously been injured in two car crashes and an attack at work — and that she didn’t share that information with them in discovery. She also sued the Miami-Dade County public school district in a workers comp case after being hit by two students. In an online fundraising campaign, she claims her “skin stung for more than six months” after being slapped by a 6-year-old kindergarten student. She said she was also body-slammed by a middle school student. But there are no so-called perfect victims, and just because somebody is litigious doesn’t mean she wasn’t assaulted while working for the Transit Police 30 years ago. The political response was muted over Thanksgiving, even as Adams faces a separate problem over his campaign finances. Maybe things will heat up today, but even the usual Adams critics mostly didn’t put out statements on the accusation. “I want to hear more. I want to make sure I’m not throwing anybody under the bus without evidence,” City Councilmember Diana Ayala told Playbook. She’s no Adams fan and is considering running for mayor herself. After Scott Stringer was accused of sexual assault two decades prior during the mayoral race in 2021 — which he denies doing — Ayala pulled her endorsement and later backed Adams. But he was a candidate and Adams is the sitting mayor, so this feels different, she said. If evidence comes out against Adams, “my response will be strong,” Ayala said. And it would start a conversation about Adams stepping down, she said. But Ayala urged fairness. “We don’t want to talk out of both sides of our mouth and say ‘innocent until proven guilty except the mayor because I don’t like you.’” — Jeff Coltin IT’S MONDAY. Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
| | | | A message from Equinor: Can offshore wind power America’s energy transition? Yes, and Equinor will play a key role. We are working to realize the potential of Empire Wind and Beacon Wind. Renewable power for the Empire State. A beacon for our net-zero future. These projects will create jobs, boost local economies, and decrease emissions. Equinor is proud to be a global leader in the growing offshore wind industry. And we’ll do it together. Learn more. | | | WHERE’S KATHY? In Albany with no public schedule. WHERE’S ERIC? Appearing live on La Mega 97.9 FM and later delivering remarks at a flag raising … for Albania. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Brooklyn is the Port-au-Prince of America.” — Adams at a Sunday church service with congregants of Haitian descent.
|  | ABOVE THE FOLD | | | | 
Rep. George Santos said he expects to be expelled from the House during a Friday conversation on X Spaces. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | BRACING FOR EXPULSION: Rep. George Santos is going through it. He’s been reflective, defiant, thankful, vengeful and everything in between. The indicted Republican, after all, expects to be expelled from Congress in coming days. “I’ve done the math over and over, and it doesn’t look really good,” Santos said in an X Spaces conversation on Friday. He railed against his colleagues for denying him due process, saying he was treated like “the Mary Magdalene of United States Congress.” The Queens and Nassau County representative, who has planned a Thursday news conference, also insisted he won’t step down. “I resign, I admit everything that’s in that report,” he said of findings by the House Ethics Committee that he broke laws and used his candidacy for “his own personal financial profit.” The report came on top of a 23-count criminal indictment accusing Santos of “multiple fraudulent schemes.” The hourslong X Spaces interview was a rollercoaster. His recent posts on X have been, too. “This year I’ve decided I want to give back and go serve the less fortunate and show them there is still love in the world,” he wrote before Thanksgiving. “God will not give us more than we can handle,” he wrote on Sunday. — Emily Ngo
| | WHAT CITY HALL IS READING | | |  Migrants brave the cold at the U.S.-Mexico border. As New York braces for winter, migrants in city shelters are already feeling the effects of frigid temperatures. | AP | WINTER IS HERE: The brutally cold winters of northern cities pose a new threat to migrants in emergency housing, especially those who emigrated from more temperate climates. Asked Sunday about frigid temperatures impacting migrants, Adams referenced the Floyd Bennett Field shelter. “The place is not sustainable,” he told MSNBC. At Floyd Bennett Field, a former federal airfield in Brooklyn, the tents housing migrants are heated but the chill still seeps in, The City reported. “The babies shiver at night, the cold is really strong,” a father from Peru told the news outlet. The onset of winter is also a potentially hazardous challenge in Chicago and Massachusetts, where, like New York City, room has run out for newcomers, POLITICO reported. “As the temperature starts to drop, it is crucial — now more than ever — that the federal government finish the job they started,” an Adams spokesperson said. — Emily Ngo PROGRAMMING NOTE: U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland is scheduled to meet with U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams this morning … which may fuel conspiracy theories that Williams is conspiring with President Joe Biden’s administration to take down Adams. There is no evidence to support that theory, but it’s lit up certain corners of X, and Adams has been asked about it enough times that he’s got a standard answer prepared: “I cannot speculate.” The sexual assault lawsuit being filed against him is — again, with no evidence — seen by mostly right-wing provocateurs as another example of “the deep state” targeting Adams. The “Sovereign District” is known for its independence, and the AG makes periodic office visits across the country. Williams’ office declined to comment on this one. — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — It’s not surprising Turkey is at the center of the Eric Adams scandal, since its government is eager for U.S. influence. (POLITICO) — A total of 2,516 NYPD cops have left so far this year, the fourth highest number in the past decade. (New York Post) — The city is moving to ban all vendors on the Brooklyn Bridge to make more space for pedestrians despite licensed peddlers' complaints that they’re being unfairly given the boot. (Gothamist)
| | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | | | 
The New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus is advocating for a bill to change many local elections to even-numbered years. | Jason DeCrow/AP Photo | CAUCUS URGES ELECTION CHANGE: Final approval of a proposal to switch many local elections to even-numbered years is being pushed by the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus as Hochul nears decision time for the bill. If signed into law, the measure would shift many local-level elections to even-numbered years and align them with state and federal elections. Supporters of the legislation have argued it would boost turnout in down-ballot races that often receive scant attention from most voters. “By streamlining the election process and aligning it with a period of heightened civic engagement, we believe that this bill will contribute to a more robust and inclusive democratic system in New York,” Caucus Chair Michaelle Solages wrote in a letter to Hochul obtained by Playbook. “As representatives of diverse communities within the state, we are dedicated to ensuring that every New Yorker has the opportunity to exercise their right to vote and participate in democracy.” There are exceptions to the change: New York City races and elections for sheriff, county clerk, district attorney, family court judge, county court judge and surrogate court judge would not be affected. Nevertheless, Republicans have decried the proposed change as a way of helping Democrats on the local level. Top GOP leaders in New York have urged Hochul to veto it. — Nick Reisman SPORTS SAFETY: Camps and youth sports programs in New York will be required to have at least one person trained to use an automated external defibrillator and create plans for making them available during practices and games under legislation signed by Hochul. Support for the measure increased in the last year after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed after making a tackle during a Monday Night Football game when he suffered a cardiac arrest. "We all remember the terrifying moment when Damar Hamlin was injured last February, but young athletes at schools and camps could be exposed to similar risks," Hochul said. "By requiring camps and youth sports programs to establish an AED implementation plan, kids will be safer and teams will be prepared.” Hamlin himself had also endorsed the legislation while raising awareness for sports safety. “My journey has shown us that no one expects cardiac arrest to happen — and we all need to be prepared,” Hamlin said in a statement. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Republicans are challenging New York’s vote-by-mail expansion while they also urge voters to cast ballots early. (Times Union) — Automatic speed cameras are now in use on parts of the state Thruway. (Daily Gazette) — Assemblymember Pat Burke is being accused of violating state labor and human rights laws in a lawsuit filed by two former staffers. (Buffalo News)
| | | | A message from Equinor:   | | | | | FROM THE DELEGATION | | |  Tom Suozzi, a candidate for New York's 3rd Congressional District, still hasn't updated his financial disclosure report, despite saying he would do so in 2022. | Bebeto Matthews/AP Photo | STILL WAITING …: When Tom Suozzi was running for governor in April 2022, his campaign said it would update his bare bones financial disclosure report after he filed his tax return. Now, a year and a half later, Suozzi is running for Congress and he never updated that report — even after a campaign spokesperson told the Journal News in June 2022 that he expected to update the filing “in the next few days.” That’s a rare point of similarity between Suozzi and Santos, who still hasn’t filed his own financial disclosure report and blamed a delayed tax return — an excuse a watchdog called “nonsensical.” Suozzi is now the leading contender for the Democratic nomination in the 3rd Congressional District when and if Santos is booted from the House. The Suozzi campaign declined to comment. Voters could still get some sense of Suozzi’s expansive holdings from his annual disclosures as a Congress member. But when running for governor, he declined to list his investments, sources of income, government contracts and more. The Ethics Commission guide suggests Suozzi’s filing would have been due in late October 2022, months after he lost the primary. We also don’t have a full picture of how Suozzi has been making money in the 11 months since he’s been out of Congress — he requested and received a 90-day extension on his financial disclosure statement as a Congressional candidate. — Jeff Coltin More from the delegation: — Democratic City Councilmember Justin Brannan is seriously considering running next year to unseat Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis. (New York Post)
| | | | GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here. | | | | | | | AROUND NEW YORK | | — The Halal cart food vendor who allegedly faced Islamophobic harassment by a former Obama administration official is now receiving overwhelming support from his UES community. (The Guardian) — Clean up costs for graffiti and vandalism at the New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman building totals up to $75,000, after a series of pro-Palestinian protests at the site. (Gothamist) — The vehicle that exploded after whizzing through the air at over 100 miles per hour near the U.S.-Canada border’s Rainbow Bridge was a 2022 Bentley Flying Spur. (New York Times)
| | | | A message from Equinor: The energy transition is the defining opportunity of our time. Our world needs reliable and accessible renewable power that reduces emissions and stabilizes the grid. We all have a role to play, and Equinor is doing our part. Equinor is already powering more than a million homes worldwide with offshore wind. Empire Wind and Beacon Wind can power New York. The energy is homegrown. So are the jobs. These projects serve the people who live and work in the community. And we’re just getting started. From clean air to new jobs, and investments that will benefit New Yorkers. Equinor in New York is a wind-win. Plug in at www.equinor.com/NY. | | | | | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | MAKING MOVES: Nicole Chin-Lyn has been promoted to managing director of communications and intergovernmental partnerships at NYC Kids RISE, a nonprofit supporting the Save for College Program. She was previously senior director of communications and marketing. … Emma Scott has been promoted to deputy director, data management and analytics, at NYC Kids RISE. She was previously senior data manager. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy … Alex Wagner … Rich Verma … THE CITY’s Katie Honan … Nick Wittenberg of Deloitte … NBC’s Libby Leist … Dina Cappiello of RMI … former Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) … Sean Bartlett (WAS SUNDAY): Chris Hughes of the Economic Security Project … CNN’s Alicia Jennings … Gabe Brotman … CBS’ Jenna Gibson (WAS SATURDAY): CNN’s Abby Phillip … Jenna Bush Hager … Barbara Pierce Bush … EEOC’s Keith Sonderling … Mark Bloomfield of the American Council for Capital Formation … Insider’s Brent Griffiths … Kendrick Lau … Emilie Jackson … Allie Strom (WAS FRIDAY): Tom LoBianco … MSNBC’s Rachel Witkin … Sally Susman … Tyler Goodspeed of the Hoover Institution … Paul Tagliabue … Chris Crane … Nasser Karimi (WAS THURSDAY): Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer … NYT’s Carolyn Ryan … Amy Schatz of Glen Echo Group … Robin Roberts … Alan Rosenberg of RG Group … Danny Cevallos … Geoff Morrell … Charlie Goodyear
| | Real Estate | | — A little love for Brooklyn Heights, New York City’s “first suburb.” (New York Times) — Global litigation firm Quinn Emanuel & Sullivan signed a lease for 132,000 square feet at 295 Fifth Ave. (New York Post) — Brooklyn’s Broadway Junction may soon be home to a massive office and residential development. (New York Daily News)
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