Eric Adams fined $4K over whistles on reporters’ chairs, citing Cuomo

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NEW YORK - Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams has agreed to pay a $4,000 fine after the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board said he misused city resources during a press conference at City Hall last year. 

What we know:

The board said Adams had City Hall staffers place multicolored whistles on reporters’ chairs before a press conference in August 2025, according to a press release. 

The disposition states that when asked about the whistles, Adams said, "Many of these women here are interviewing Andrew Cuomo, and they feel unsafe. They’re going to have a whistle to help them through it."

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who lost to Mayor Zohran Mamdani in the race for mayor this past November, resigned from his post in 2021 following multiple investigations, primarily related to sexual harassment allegations, including inappropriate comments and groping. A report found that he harassed 11 women, many of whom were current or former employees. 

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 22: New York Mayor Eric Adams poses with Independent candidate former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo after Cuomo participated in the second debate for the upcoming mayoral election on Wednesday evening during the game between

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What they're saying:

"Although I did not consider it at the time, I now acknowledge that this conduct constituted campaign-related activities and that, by engaging in campaign-related activities during times I was required to perform services for the City, I violated the City Charter," Adams' disposition reads. 

The board stated in the press release said Adams’ actions used city time, resources and personnel for the campaign purpose of drawing negative attention to one of his opponents in the mayoral race.

Adams dropped out of the mayoral race at the end of September. 

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A statement from Adams' spokesperson, Todd Shapiro, issued Monday said that "the issue involved routine event preparation by staff and was never intended to support any political activity." 

"There was no misuse of public funds for campaign purposes," Shapiro added. "Mayor Adams takes ethics and compliance seriously, has always held his administration to a high standard." 

Other settlements 

The board also announced settlements with two other city officials for similar violations during the 2025 municipal elections on Monday. 

The press release states that New York City Council Member Joann Ariola paid a $2,000 fine after posting a press release supporting mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa on her official X account, which included the City Council seal. As the board notes, the seal "cannot be used for political endorsements." 

New York City Council Member Joann Ariola speaks to members of the media outside the Federal Plaza, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Grant Yanney, a community coordinator in the Mayor’s Office, also agreed to pay a $400 fine for using a city email account to promote a campaign event for Adams’ re-election, according to the board. 

The disposition states that public servants are not to "engage in any business, transaction or private employment…which is in conflict with the proper discharge of his or her official duties." In other words, by using his city email account to promote a campaign event, he was in violation of city code as an employee. 

Dig deeper:

The Conflicts of Interest Board is responsible for interpreting and enforcing New York City’s Conflicts of Interest Law and related ethics rules for public servants.

The board said these settlements are part of its ongoing work to ensure city resources are not used for political campaigns.