Former Mayor Eric Adams was fined $4,000 by the Conflicts of Interest Board after the board determined that he used a city press event to reference a political opponent during the mayoral campaign last year. The board found that Adams inappropriately used city resources at an August 22, 2025, press conference, where he distributed multi-colored whistles to the press, a gesture directed at former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who was his political rival at the time. According to Gothamist, Adams addressed questions about the whistles by mentioning concerns about the safety of women reporters interviewing Cuomo, in reference to the sexual harassment allegations that led to Cuomo’s resignation in 2021.
The press event took place around the time former aide Ingrid Lewis-Martin and other staffers faced corruption indictments, though Adams focused his remarks on trust in his administration and his re-election campaign. During the event, he denied any intention to withdraw from the mayoral race, but he did so a month later. Following his withdrawal, Adams unexpectedly endorsed Cuomo, whom he had previously described as “a snake and a liar,” as reported by THE CITY.
In its official ruling, the Conflicts of Interest Board stated that Adams violated the City Charter, which limits the use of city time for outside activities, including political campaigning. The ruling notes that Adams instructed a staffer to purchase and distribute the whistles to draw negative attention to an opponent in his reelection campaign. The identities of the staffers involved and the total cost of the whistles were not disclosed.
Following the fine and the board's findings, Adams’s spokesman, Todd Shapiro, stated that the issue involved routine event preparation by staff and was not intended to support political activity, adding that there was no misuse of public funds for campaign purposes. Shapiro also said that Adams takes ethics and compliance seriously and has maintained high standards within his administration, as reported by THE CITY. A spokesperson for Cuomo, Rich Azzopardi, declined to comment. Separately, Queens City Councilwoman Joann Ariola received a $2,000 fine for using an official City Council seal in a post about mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa; Ariola chose to pay the fine to avoid prolonging the matter.
