NEW YORK — The nightlife mayor does not want sunlight on his nocturnal activities.
Mayor Eric Adams took aim Monday at a report that raised ethical questions about his frequent club and restaurant outings, rejecting the notion he should produce receipts or other information to quell concern about the matter.
Speaking at a press conference in Brooklyn, Adams ridiculed the report from the New York Times for suggesting he may be flouting city ethics law by frequently dining at Osteria La Baia, an Italian eatery in Midtown run by two of his scandal-scarred friends, twin brothers Zhan and Robert Petrosyants.
“What’s going on with the New York Times? Front page of the New York Times, breaking news: Eric likes going to restaurants — c’mon!” the mayor told reporters.
After referencing COVID-19, monkeypox and crime as some issues he said the media should focus on instead, Adams added: “That was a silly story. You all know it was a silly, silly story.”
The Times observed Adams dining at the Petrosyants brothers’ spot 14 nights in June without ever appearing to pay his tab. The city Conflicts of Interest Board holds that elected officials should not accept any gifts worth more than $50 that are given to them because of their positions, as it could prompt corruption concerns.
At Monday’s press conference, Adams insisted he personally pays “every bill” he racks up for food and drinks. But he refused to commit to releasing receipts that would corroborate the claim.
“What mayor have you ever asked to give receipts for his private dinners? You can’t have a rule for Eric, and a rule for everyone else,” he said. “I owe no one a receipt of a private dinner that I have with people in the city.”
The Daily News and other outlets reported earlier this year on the longstanding ties between Adams, members of his inner circle and the Petrosyants twins, who pleaded guilty in 2014 to federal criminal charges over their role in a medical insurance scheme. The twins are the subject of several active lawsuits accusing them of shady financial practices, and some businesses they hold stakes in owe hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes, including a Brooklyn pizzeria that was seized by the state this spring, as first reported by The News.
Despite their checkered past, Adams has repeatedly defended the Petrosyants, saying in February that his friendship with them is indicative of his ability to “mentor people.” On Monday, he used his bully pulpit to offer some free advertising for the brothers’ restaurant.
“I have a favorite restaurant called La Baia,” he said.
La Baia is not the only Big Apple hotspot where Adams’ patronage is drawing scrutiny.
A self-professed nightlife aficionado who proudly operates on little sleep, Adams often hangs out at Zero Bond, an exclusive members-only club in NoHo where celebrities, business tycoons and other power players are known to congregate.
To become a member of Zero Bond, one must cough up a $5,000 initiation fee and a $4,000 annual payment, which does not include food and drinks.
Adams, however, frequents the establishment without being a member — and admitted Monday that he’s able to do so because he goes as a “guest.” He refused to reveal who usually invites him, though, and also would not explain how or if he pays for his Zero Bond outings.
“If I tell you who I go with, there will be full-page stories on them, and no one’s going to want to hang out with me anymore,” he said. “You know, I’m just blown away how people are so attracted to my life. I mean, people just enjoy everything that I do.”
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