Eric Adams Adviser Suspended From Campaign After Being Accused Of Giving Local Reporter Cash

A longtime ally, advisor and fundraiser for New York Mayor Eric Adams was suspended from his re-election effort aft she was accused of attempting to manus a section journalist a cash-stuffed murphy spot bag.

Winnie Greco was outed by a local news organization, The City, for trying to springiness rate surreptitiously tucked wrong a Herr's Sour Cream & Onion ripple murphy spot container to 1 of its City Hall reporters aft a run arena Wednesday day successful Harlem.

According to nan news outlet, nan reporter, Katie Honan, initially refused nan murphy chips, which she believed to beryllium a genuine snack offer, but Greco insisted. Upon discovering nan wad of cash, which reportedly included astatine slightest 1 $100 measure and respective $20 bills, she instantly contacted nan Adams confidant to return nan unwanted gift.

“I can’t return this, erstwhile tin I springiness it backmost to you," Honan texted Greco, to nary response, according to The City.

Greco later called nan money connection "a mistake" and apologized profusely erstwhile The City contacted her astir why she tried to springiness a newsman who covers Adams' management a rate gift aft an arena meant to support his re-election. Greco, who is Chinese, said nan enactment was "a civilization thing," a position her lawyer supported successful a connection to The City.

“I tin spot really this looks strange,” Greco's attorney, Steven Brill, told The City. “But I guarantee you that Winnie’s intent was purely innocent. In nan Chinese culture, money is often fixed to others successful a motion of relationship and gratitude. Winnie is apologetic and embarrassed by immoderate antagonistic belief aliases disorder this whitethorn person caused.”

Todd Shapiro, a spokesperson for Adams' mayoral campaign, said in a connection that "Grecco [sic] holds nary position successful this run and has been suspended from each VOLUNTEER campaign-related activities."

“We are shocked by these reports," Shapiro said, adding, "Mayor Adams had nary anterior knowledge of this matter."

Greco has been a adjacent state of Adams for much than a decade, serving arsenic a conduit betwixt nan politician and nan city's Asian American communities and a apical fundraiser for his campaigns and landing a domiciled successful his management arsenic head of Asian affairs. She resigned from that domiciled past year, months aft nan FBI raided 2 of her properties arsenic portion of an investigation into a straw donations strategy successful Adams' 2021 campaign.

The probe into nan straw donations was 1 of respective ineligible scandals surrounding Adams, whom federal prosecutors charged past twelvemonth pinch abusing his position "as this City’s highest elected official, and earlier that arsenic Brooklyn Borough President, to return bribes and solicit forbidden run contributions." The Trump Justice Department later dismissed nan charges.

Shapiro said Adams "has ever demanded nan highest ethical and ineligible standards."

Richard Kim, nan editor successful main of The City, called Greco's rate gift "deeply disturbing."

“The truth that 1 of politician Adams’ closest, longtime advisors would effort to ingratiate herself to immoderate reporter, overmuch little Katie Honan, pinch a rate gift is profoundly disturbing and speaks to a rampant and blatant disregard for nan domiciled of a free and adjacent press," Kim said. "The prime of sour pick and bulb chips is besides questionable.”