【Text/Observer Network Ding Yue】
Just a week into office, Eric Adams, the African-American mayor of New York, gave his brother the post of deputy commissioner of police, causing a huge controversy.
Under the pressure of public opinion, on January 12, New York City officials revealed that Adams had demoted his brother to the position of "executive director of the mayor's security affairs", and his annual salary was forced to reduce by $30,000, and now his salary is 210,000 US dollars (about 1.33 million yuan).
Screenshot of the New York Times report
Earlier, according to the New York Post on January 7, The New York City's newly appointed African-American mayor, Eric Adams, will appoint his own brother Bernard Adams as deputy chief of the New York Police Department with an annual salary of $242,000. In an interview with CNN on Jan. 9, Adams refused to admit any "nepotism" and instead defended himself, saying he appointed his brother as deputy commissioner of the NYPD because he needed someone he could trust to protect him from "white supremacy and hate crimes."
Adams' move quickly sparked widespread controversy and led to questions about his "nepotism" and "nepotism". New York writer Don Winslow protested: "There are 9 million people in New York City, and New York Mayor Eric Adams appointed his younger brother. ”
On January 12, New York City officials again revealed that the actual official position of the mayor's brother Bernard would be "executive director of the mayor's security affairs", responsible only for the mayor's security. However, government officials are also unable to confirm whether such official positions exist in the past.
According to the New York Times, this position is obviously several ranks lower than the previous deputy police chief, and the annual salary has been reduced by $30,000, and the current annual salary is about $210,000 (about 1.33 million yuan). But administration officials did not say why Bernard was demoted.
New York Mayor Eric Adams (left) and his brother Bernard Adams (right)
However, judging by Bernard Adams' past work experience, The New York Times said it was unclear what work experience he had to prove that he was capable of protecting the mayor in times of particular danger.
Bernard Adams, 56, was a former NYPD officer who retired in 2006. During his 20 years in the Police Department, his highest position was Sergeant (a sergeant, a police officer, who had a higher status than a detective and a constable, and was required to perform the duties of a police officer and supervise, coordinate, and direct the day-to-day activities of officers and employees of other departments), was responsible for community affairs in the North District of Queens, New York City, and supervised more than 40 staff members.
After 2011, he began working as "Assistant Director of Parking" at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). According to a job posting by virginia commonwealth university school of medicine, the duties of the "assistant director of parking" include "proactively identifying and resolving issues related to parking and traffic on campus" and overseeing "the campus's enforcement actions and operations centers," according to the New York Times. In addition, the work requires "enforcing the University's parking rules and regulations."
However, the position does not require the incumbent to carry a weapon. A spokesman for Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) also said Bernard "did not provide administrative protection services."
In addition, it is worth noting that on January 1 this year, Adams just officially took the oath of office as mayor. But the New York Times revealed that before that, Bernard had already started work on December 30. However, it wasn't until the New York Post reported on the 7th that Adams began applying for approval from The Conflicts of Interests Board on Jan. 7.
The Conflict of Interest Committee is part of the New York City Government and reviews conflicts of interest in the appointment and receipt of gifts by public officials in New York. Under New York City law, public officials may not use or attempt to exploit their position to "obtain any financial benefit" for themselves or their relatives, including siblings. However, city officials also pointed out that this regulation is not monolithic. If the Conflict of Interest Committee determines that "the position does not conflict with the purpose and interests of the city," the mayor can hire siblings. Moreover, the recommendations of the Conflict of Interest Commission are not legally mandatory and can only be prosecuted. There have also been historical precedents of mayors ignoring the recommendations of the Commission.
It was unclear whether the committee approved Bernard's position. Richard Briffault, a professor at Columbia Law School and former chair of the Conflict of Interest Committee, said: "This does look like a serious problem. A public official, including a mayor, cannot use his position as mayor to gain financial benefits for his siblings. ”
This article is an exclusive manuscript of the Observer Network and may not be reproduced without authorization.