It’s not exactly a people-powered campaign.
NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams’ long shot mayoral bid is getting a financial boost from a bevy of pols, city workers and those doing business with City Hall — prompting critics to accuse the Queens Democrat of leveraging her post to bolster her political ambitions.
Adams raised $126,033 during the first week of her campaign, of which $13,348 – or 10.5% — was pocketed through 62 donations from elected city officials and their staff; city workers, and lobbyists and other operatives with business before the city, according to her latest campaign filings.
Many of the contributions are $250 or less and expected to eventually qualify for an 8-to-1 taxpayer-funded match — likely bringing her early haul from these bureaucrats and other bigwigs to more than $50,000.
It’s the tip of the iceberg as the lawmaker moves ahead with her campaign, critics contend.
“The fact that she can’t raise grassroots money and, instead, relies on lobbyists, city contractors and elected officials tells you exactly who’ll she’ll serve if she’s elected – and it’s not the people,” said Curtis Sliwa, the presumptive Republican mayoral nominee.
The Guardian Angels founder also accused the speaker of having a history of catering to “special interests” groups.
“If this isn’t criminal it should be,” said lawyer Jim Walden, who is also running for mayor as an independent. “…This is why everyone is sick and tired of career politics.”
Adams’ donations include a combined $2,303 from far-left Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and seven Democratic council members that could swell to more than $14,000 if the speaker qualifies for matching funds as she expects to later this spring.
Twenty-one donations came from City Council staff and other city employees, totaling $2,185, and 25 came from city lobbyists totaling $6,760.
The speaker — who is not related to her political rival Mayor Eric Adams — had a campaign war chest of $276,256 as of March 13, including $211,404 she transferred from her previous council campaign.
Council members’ early desire to boost her mayoral run is reciprocal.
Speaker Adams doled out $1,000 donations to a vast majority of the 51-member council’s political campaigns a few years ago — an unprecedented move that helped her keep the leadership post, The Post reported in January 2023.
Adams’ spokesperson Lupe Todd-Medina defended the donations.
“You can tell a lot about a candidate by who backs them,” Todd-Medina said, citing reports of mayoral frontrunner Andrew Cuomo collecting tens of thousands of dollars from donors and associates of President Donald Trump.
“That’s the difference between a public servant who’s in it for the people — and a career politician who’s only in it for power,” she added.
