'Blatant Nepotism': Adams Under Fire For Hiring Younger Brother

New York City NY

10 January, 2022

4:00 PM

Description

NEW YORK CITY — Mayor Eric Adams faces a swirl of criticism after appointing his younger brother to serve as an NYPD commissioner. The quiet hire of Bernard Adams unfolded toward the tail end of Eric Adams' first week as mayor — a span that saw the newly minted Hizzoner pledge to bring "swagger" back to New York City. "It's nepotism with swagger!" one teacher tweeted, referring to the mayor's pledge to bring "swagger" to his new job. Another critic was even more blunt. "Blatant nepotism," tweeted Curtis Sliwa, who lost to Adams in the 2021 mayoral campaign. Blatant nepotism. I warned of Adams corrupt behavior during my campaign. Political favors hurts democracy. https://t.co/vhVo2bSTYC— Curtis Sliwa (@CurtisSliwa) January 9, 2022 Adams confirmed and defended Bernard Adams' hire during an often-contentious interview on CNN with Jake Tapper, who also pressed the mayor on appointing close ally Philip Banks as deputy mayor despite ethics concerns. Bernard Adams is qualified for the position, Eric Adams said. "Number one, he will be in charge of my security, which is extremely important to me," he said. "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. "But at the same time, I need that right balance. I don't want the people of this city to believe that their mayor is not approachable, and he's not willing to engage with them on the level that I want to represent you."