Mayor Eric Adams’ brother will not be raking in the big bucks as head of mayoral security.
Instead, Bernard Adams has been granted a waiver by the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB) to serve as senior advisor for mayoral security for the nominal salary of $1 a year, allowing him to become an official city employee.
The details of COIB’s decision are outlined in a written response to the mayor’s office that Gothamist/WNYC obtained through a Freedom of Information Law request.
Hear WNYC senior reporter Brigid Bergin's report on the Conflicts of Interest Board granting a waiver to Mayor Eric Adams:
On Wednesday, COIB sent the opinion to the mayor’s counsel, Brendan McGuire, which made clear that City Hall walked back its initial plan to pay Adams’ brother a hefty $210,000 salary but instead sought a waiver for him to play an uncompensated role in the administration, in keeping with the precedents set by previous administrations.
The waiver also stated that Bernard Adams will have no staff or authority within the New York City Police Department and will be subject to the same annual disclosure requirements as other public officials. The mayor has also committed to recusing himself from any decisions regarding his brother’s employment, according to the waiver.
The mayor initially hired his brother, a 56-year-old retired NYPD sergeant, on December 30th — a move that would appear to violate the city’s prohibition on nepotism if not approved by COIB, the small agency tasked with overseeing public employees adherence to local conflicts of interest, ethics and lobbyist gift laws.
Read More: Adams Defers To “COIB” On Brother’s New Gig: What Is The Conflicts of Interest Board?
City Hall officials noted that the office submitted a request for a waiver nearly two weeks after the initial start date. The response from COIB specifies that the waiver request was submitted on January 25th.
City law states that a public official is prohibited from using their position to, “obtain any financial gain,” for the individual or, “any person or firm associated with the public servant.” The definition of someone associated with the public official includes family members, and specifically a sibling.
The mayor has repeatedly told reporters that it is important to him to have someone guarding his safety that understands him. “If I have to put my life in someone's hands, I want to put it in the hand of the person I trust deeply," Adams told reporters just nine days into his job.
Read More: He "Understands Me": Adams Defends Appointing Brother As Deputy NYPD Commissioner
He later blamed the controversy on a bias against “blue collar” workers, while pointing to prior mayors who secured waivers to hire relatives. Both Mayors Michael Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio hired members of their family to posts within their administrations, but in each case those positions were unpaid.
Still, Adams committed to following the guidance set forth by COIB noting, “My opinion doesn’t matter. It’s C-O-I-B, that’s the opinion that matters.”
“Bernard Adams is uniquely qualified for this job, and in order to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest, he offered to serve for the nominal salary of $1,” said mayoral spokesperson Max Young in a statement. “We made this proposal to the Conflict of Interest Board and they’ve agreed, and we’re grateful to Bernard for being willing to serve the city for no salary.”
While Adams will make no real salary, he will be able to continue to collect his NYPD pension and healthcare benefits. The mayor’s security detail will continue to be overseen by the NYPD, though Adams' brother will provide guidance and advice on issues related to mayoral security and community engagement.
A leading government watchdog praised COIB's ruling and hoped it sent a message to the Adams administration.
“The Conflicts of Interest Board just passed a big test of its authority and the city’s anti-nepotism law will survive,” said John Kaehny, executive director of Reinvent Albany. “We hope Mayor Adams considers how vast his powers are and starts leading by example instead of challenging basic anti-corruption rules.”
Former COIB Chair Richard Briffault, who teaches ethics and local government at Columbia University Law School, said his read of the waiver suggested this was a negotiated solution since the request from the mayor’s counsel contained all the constraints that would allow COIB to approve it. He also said the consensus maintains the integrity of the city’s ethics laws.
Briffault said Adams should have initially checked with COIB first to determine if the hiring of the mayor's brother was acceptable.
“I think they are more aware that these laws are out there,” he said, adding, “And that the law can bite.”
The article has been updated to include a comment from the Mayor's office.
