By Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman

With help from Cris Seda Chabrier

the money that once poured into Mayor Eric Adams' legal defense trust has dried to mere droplets, leaving him with unpaid bills quickly nearing $1 million. | Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

NEW YORK MINUTE: Mayor Eric Adams is set to announce a $114.5 billion preliminary budget today. The spending plan is expected to include funding for numerous priorities outlined in the mayor’s State of the City speech last week. — Joe Anuta

IN THE RED: Adams’ embattled reelection bid reported a decent fundraising quarter. But the money that once poured into his legal defense trust has dried to mere droplets, leaving him with unpaid bills quickly nearing $1 million.

Adams’ trust netted just $2,200 over the quarter from two donors, attorney Alan Sclar and businessperson Tzvi Odzer.

Odzer was caught up in a straw donor scheme decades earlier, charged with making illegal donations in his children’s name to then-Rep. Anthony Weiner’s campaign in 1999 and ordered by a federal judge to pay a $12,000 fine.

Ironically the legal fund was set up more than a year ago to help defray Adams’ costs related to defending himself against allegations he took part in a straw donor scheme to boost his 2021 campaign. He’s since been federally indicted.

Adams pleaded not guilty and is fighting the charges — and that’s costing him.

Adams’ fund reported $873,770 in expenses since October, with the majority going to his defense attorneys at WilmerHale. The trust also reported a $200,000 advance retainer to Quinn Emanuel, the law firm of Adams’ lead trial attorney, Alex Spiro.

The attorneys’ bills are certain to grow as they prepare for Adams’ April trial. The fund was already in debt as of the last filing deadline in October. And with so few donations coming in, the deficit has ballooned to more than $735,000.

Adams’ campaign attorney Vito Pitta declined to comment. Adams stopped fundraising for his legal case last summer. He raised $1.8 million in increments of $5,000 or less through August, but only $3,200 since then.

The trust filed a disclosure report the same day campaign financial disclosures were released — and Adams brought in money there, raising $270,291 in three months.

POLITICO’s Joe Anuta led coverage on a dive into all the mayoral candidates’ filings — which show challengers becoming financially competitive with the embattled incumbent. — Jeff Coltin

IT’S THURSDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.

A message from RHOAR NYC:

Help Make NYC Homeownership Affordable. Pass Bill 1107 to restore short-term rental rights to small, neighborhood homeowners. NYC neighborhoods thrive through the stability of owner-occupied homes. Bill 1107 will restore short-term rental rights to one- and two-family homeowners who live in their homes and relied on short-term rental income to maintain and stay in their homes. Learn more at www.rhoar.org.

WHERE’S KATHY? Making an announcement on subway safety in New York City, and in Albany.

WHERE’S ERIC? Holding meetings to discuss Fiscal Year 2026 at New York City Hall.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We’ll not allow his death to be in vain. There must be justice for my father and our family. And will not stop fighting until we get it.” — Robert Brooks Jr., son of a prison inmate who died after being beaten by officers at Marcy Correctional Facility. The Brooks family has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit.

Scott Stringer formed a campaign last year to run against Mayor Eric Adams. | Courtesy of Stringer NYC

ETHICALLY CHALLENGED: Scott Stringer is rolling out an ethics plan as he formally launches his campaign for New York City mayor today — a clear play for voters frustrated by the indicted incumbent’s scandals.

Top on his list: A proposed ban on political donations from anybody doing business with the city and a one-year waiting period for lobbyists getting city jobs.

“Corruption isn't just a failure of governance. It really is a betrayal of the people,” the former city comptroller said in an interview. “City Hall has been working for the privileged few. They're working for the few, not the many, and when I'm there, we're going to reclaim the city, and this is how we're going to do it.”

His ethics platform, which he shared in advance with Playbook, also includes restrictions on limitless independent expenditures.

Stringer formed a campaign last year to run against Adams and is formally launching his bid with a media blitz, a fundraiser on the Upper West Side of Manhattan — Stringer’s former home turf — and a series of policy proposals. One includes reclaiming neglected housing from landlords and hiring 3,000 more cops. The latter underscores the degree to which Democrats’ views on policing have shifted: Stringer himself called for cuts to police budgets when he was a candidate for mayor last cycle.

“If you allow yourself to get stuck in 2021,” Stringer said when asked about moving away from his previous positions, “then you've been asleep for the last four years of what's actually happening in this city.”

Read more on Stringer’s ethics plan — and which part an ethics watchdog doesn’t like — from Playbook’s Jeff Coltin.

City Comptroller Brad Lander is increasingly a progressive and left-leaning voice in New York City. | Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

BOB, WEAVE, PUNCH: The mayor insisted Wednesday that his Long Island dinner a day earlier with Donald Trump ally Bruce Blakeman, reported by Playbook, was about migrants and not the president-elect, who could offer Adams a pardon for his federal fraud charges.

Nassau County is “having a problem with gangs in that area. El Salvadorian gangs,” Adams told reporters, saying of Blakeman, the county executive: “We want to work together on: How do we make this region safe?”

Meanwhile, Adams has a newer knock on his political nemesis in the city, Brad Lander, a face of the organized left who has long served as the mayor’s punching bag and is running to unseat him.

“We need adults, not the cult, to tell us how to fix this problem,” Adams said as he laid out his plan to invest $650 million to get severely mentally ill people into care. “And every time we move forward and make these tough adult decisions, we have those with the cult philosophies, with this idealism.”

Adams later got explicit when asked about Lander’s own plan to resolve the crisis: “You can’t say ‘cult’ without Brad.”

Lander’s campaign spokesperson Kat Capossela responded, “Eric Adams had three years to ‘do the work’ of keeping people with serious mental illness from cycling from street to subway to hospital to jail. Brad knows that New Yorkers are fed up with a government that isn’t working and will deliver a safer, more affordable, and better-run city for everyone.” — Emily Ngo

FREE CHILD CARE: Lander is ramping up a push for universal child care — a sign the issue will gain importance in the mayor’s race, 12 years after Bill de Blasio ran successfully on a similar platform.

A family would need to earn $334,000 to afford care for a 2-year-old, according to a new report his office released Wednesday. With free child care, working mothers stand to earn an additional $210 million due to increased work hours. That would, in turn, pump $900 million back into the economy, per the findings.

The comptroller has embraced a new campaign for free child care for the city’s 2-year-olds.

“Affordable, high-quality child care would not just provide relief to hundreds of thousands of working families in New York City struggling to make ends meet — it would dramatically improve quality of life in the city and put New York at the forefront of support for working families across the nation,” the report states.

His office also said the city needs 16,000 additional 3K seats to meet demand.

Adams did not delineate any new child care proposals during his State of the City speech last week but said his administration offered a 3K seat to every on-time applicant while cutting down child care costs.

“We must support the sustainability of the current system while we remain committed to working alongside our partners in government to create a seamless, equitable system that sets every child on a path to success from their earliest years,” city Education Department spokesperson Nicole Brownstein said in a statement. — Madina Touré

More from the city:

— Adams aide Nate Bliss' former job with Taconic Partners is raising conflict of interest questions around a city real estate deal. (NBC New York)

— Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has ordered a review of a car-leasing program that costs the NYPD over $1 million. (New York Post)

— The city plans to build a live-in “safe space” care facility for homeless people with serious mental illness who are repeatedly treated at and discharged from city hospitals. (Daily News)

A message from RHOAR NYC:

Gov. Kathy Hochul has a $15.5 million war chest and a beefed-up state party apparatus. | ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images

FUNDRAISING FALLOUT: Hochul has a $15.5 million war chest and a beefed-up state party apparatus, but one of her rivals is making in-roads with key New York business interests.

Rep. Ritchie Torres, the South Bronx Democrat weighing a primary challenge to the governor, will be honored at a gala reception of the powerful Real Estate Board of New York this evening.

Torres has been scheduled to make the headlining appearance at the event — where he will receive a public service award — since last October and before he signaled an interest in running for governor. A REBNY representative did not respond when asked if there was a broader meaning to the award, given Torres’ potential challenge.

Hochul’s haul — $6.7 million for the state Democratic Committee and $3.3 million for her own campaign — is not a record-setting one.

But state Democratic Chair Jay Jacobs, a Hochul ally, gave an upbeat assessment of her campaign’s cash position.

“The fundraising is fantastic and it’s a good indication of support, but I think more importantly the proposals that she put forth at the State of the State are going to have a huge impact on New Yorkers and will see her support improve dramatically,” Jacobs told Playbook.

Hochul’s agenda includes a two-year, $1 billion tax cut proposal for joint filers who make less than $320,000. She’s called for the tax cut as she also weathers low favorability ratings with voters.

“When the governor puts such a strong focus on those issues we know are important and goes about doing something to fix them, voters will take notice of it,” Jacobs said. “You can’t make one speech and all is good. You’ve got to talk about it again and again.” — Nick Reisman

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is backing a new bill in Albany to prevent those found mentally unfit to stand trial from being immediately released without treatment.

The bill comes after Taylor Swift’s alleged stalker was arrested for lurking outside her apartment and showed up at her residence again minutes after his release from Manhattan Criminal Court.

The charges against him were eventually dropped after psychiatric exams found he was unfit to stand.

The measure is a way for Bragg to push back against the perception that the state’s 2019 criminal justice reforms have precipitated a revolving door of crime in the city — a view that continues to threaten Democrats at the ballot box.

Over the last two years, the defendant was found mentally unfit in 529 misdemeanor cases, according to Bragg’s office.

Bragg is facing a long-shot challenge from Republican Maud Maron this November.

Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Tony Simone of Manhattan are sponsoring the measure.

“Defying logic, our laws dictate that hundreds of people who are found unfit to stand trial by mental health professionals have their cases dismissed and are sent back to our communities without the necessary tools to access potentially life-saving treatment,” Bragg said in a statement to Playbook.

He said the “commonsense bill” connects mentally ill people with necessary services “giving them a much better chance at lasting stability and decreasing the likelihood that they reoffend.” — Jason Beeferman

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: A dozen Democratic state senators led by Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris will send a letter today to Con Edison urging “fair employment” for cleaners contracted with the utility giant, Playbook has learned.

“As state officials representing working and middle-class New Yorkers, we were alarmed to learn that many contracted cleaners at Con Edison facilities are paid minimum wage and are not provided with employer-sponsored health insurance,” the lawmakers write.

The dozens of cleaners went on strike last week amid an unfair labor practice charge 32BJ SEIU filed with the National Labor Relations Board. Nelson Service Systems, their employer, did not immediately return a request for comment.

A Con Edison spokesperson said, “Our contract with Nelson Services requires that their workers are employed in accordance with all applicable labor and employment laws.”

Gianaris told Playbook the employees “go to work every day, working long hours and earning less than a living wage with no benefits.” — Emily Ngo

IT’S FUNDRAISING SZN: Good news for Albany restaurants — political fundraisers are picking back up in New York’s capital city.

Playbook was forwarded an invitation sent out by newly elected Democratic state Sen. Chris Ryan’s “first Albany fundraiser” scheduled for Feb. 4 at a sports bar down the hill from the Capitol. (Tickets range from $500 to $5,000.)

Albany frequently plays host for these events as the six-month legislative session gets underway and — some cynics might note — coincide with state budget negotiations.

That spending plan this year could boost the city itself. Half of the governor’s proposed $400 million for Albany-based improvements will go toward unspecified projects downtown. — Nick Reisman

More from Albany:

— Hochul is embracing calls from prosecutors to make changes to evidence discovery rules. (NYS Focus)

— State Sen. Jabari Brisport is not fully on board with Hochul’s child care plan. (City & State)

— Hochul wants to close a security deposit loophole that has hurt tenants. (Gothamist)

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump at Macomb Community College on Nov. 01, 2024, in Warren, Michigan. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Democrat-aligned House Majority Forward will start taking aim at New York’s two battleground Republicans, Reps. Mike Lawler and Nick LaLota, with ads today slamming their support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Playbook has learned.

The digital spots are part of the nonprofit’s $10 million “economic accountability” campaign. Democratic leaders, including Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, are trying to hone their economic messaging as they look to 2026, POLITICO has reported.

Kennedy, Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services secretary, would “restrict safe products farmers rely on, based on conspiracy theories,” and “put a new sales tax on imported food,” making groceries most costly for Americans, the ads charge.

Republicans will control all levers of power in Washington after Trump’s inauguration on Monday, boosted by their appeal to working-class Americans worried about cost of living.

New York was a bright spot for House Democrats, who flipped three seats in November. But Lawler of the Hudson Valley and LaLota of Long Island handily defeated their relatively high-profile Dem challengers.

“National Democrats have wasted $12 million over the last two cycles attacking me with false claims about abortion,” LaLota responded. “Now, they’re trying out a new desperate tactic — and I will stay focused on increasing the SALT cap and securing the border.” — Emily Ngo

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Immigrant advocacy group Make the Road today will publicly launch Make the Road States, a national effort to respond to a Trump agenda that the organization said “has promised indiscriminate mass deportations, an end to birthright citizenship, rolling back the rights of trans youth and an attack on the democratic process.”

Make the Road States will operate alongside states-based Make the Road groups, including in New York. It will be led by Theo Oshiro and Maegan Llerena as co-executive directors, Playbook has learned.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) said in a statement that Make the Road “has worked for decades to ensure that immigrants in this country — whether they’ve been here for a day or generations — can live free from discrimination.”

Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt has said of mass deportation, “President Trump was given a mandate by the American people to stop the invasion of illegal immigrants, secure the border, and deport dangerous criminals and terrorists that make our communities less safe.” She pledged, “He will deliver.” — Emily Ngo

More from Congress:

— Former Rep. Lee Zeldin will face questions about his fitness to lead the Environmental Protection Agency at his Senate hearing today, but he appears to be on a path to confirmation. (Newsday)

— Rep. Elise Stefanik’s confirmation hearing for United Nations ambassador is scheduled for next Tuesday. (NY1)

— Lawler and Rep. George Latimer both favor a study of the future of Social Security. (Journal News)

— The federal government and Albany NanoTech have reached a deal for a $1 billion computer chip research center at the facility. (Times Union)

— School property taxes will be capped at 2 percent increases for the fourth year in a row. (Newsday)

— The longtime chief of staff to Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan is making a bid for elected office. (WAMC)

A message from RHOAR NYC:

When New York City passed and began enforcing its overly strict short-term rental law, many hard-working families who relied on income from sharing their homes were financially devastated. After a year of advocacy and thousands of letters into City Hall from homeowners across NYC’s five boroughs, the New York City Council recently introduced Bill 1107 to restore short-term rental rights to registered one- and two-family homeowners who live in their homes. Passing Bill 1107 will mean increasing the economic tools available to everyday New Yorkers to maintain and stay in their homes, creating stability for the city’s most vulnerable homeowners and the local communities and businesses that depend on them. Learn more at www.rhoar.org.

Edited by Daniel Lippman

MAKING MOVES: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s banking counsel Jen Brown will join BGR Group later this month. Brown, who also worked for House Small Business Committee ranking member Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.), will focus on digital assets, the financial sector, and tax policy. … Caroline Crowell, formerly the grassroots engagement director for the New York State Democratic Party, is now the campaign manager for Brad Hoylman-Sigal’s Manhattan borough president race.

— Former NY1 Queens reporter Clodagh McGowan has joined the New York City Department of Investigation as assistant director of communications. … Travis Proulx, formerly SUNY’s vice chancellor for agency and community engagement, has joined Fordham University as vice president for external affairs.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: State Sen. Joe Griffo … NYC Council candidate Wilfredo Lopez … the Daily News’ Richard Johnson … New York Law School’s Matt Gewolb … former Assemblymember Diana Richardson … GHCC’s Lloyd Williams … Tonko District Director Colleen Williams … Anthony Drummond … former Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta … Norman Podhoretz … NYT’s Sheera Frenkel … Stephen Szypulski … (WAS WEDNESDAY): Samantha Massell ... Martin Chalfie ... Barry Berke … (WAS TUESDAY): India Sneed-Williams

Missed Wednesday’s New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.

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