“I have to wonder, is there something going on with the New York Times right now,” Adams asked rhetorically. “The stories they write about me, I know people write stories, you get a lot of clicks when Eric Adams’ name is there. But the front page of the New York Times said I was going to restaurants?’ The Gray Lady’s report described how Adams managed to gain defacto membership in the members-only Zero Bond club, where he regularly appears and was seen hosting another politician in an ultra-luxurious private room accessible only by fingerprints. The club would normally cost $9,000 in initiation and membership fees for the first year. Mayor Eric Adams called the New York Times cover of its nightlife “stupid, stupid.” Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Haute Living The New York Times followed Adams for a month as he visited great restaurants and clubs. Avalon/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Adams frequented La Baia, an Italian restaurant that recently opened in Midtown.Stefano Giovannini City rules enforced by the Conflicts of Interest Board effectively prohibit city officials and employees from accepting gifts worth more than $50. “Public servants may not accept a gift of $50 or more … from a city vendor, meaning any person or company that the public servant knows has or intends to do business with the city,” the COIB website states . It adds that a ‘gift’ is defined as ‘anything of value – including a meal, a ticket to an event, a gift card, a loan, a holiday bag or basket of fruit’. Adams on Monday claimed he attended as a guest of other members, but declined to specify who invited him to the NoHo hotspot, where he celebrated after his November election victory. “If I tell you who I’m going with, you’ll do full-page stories about them,” he replied when pressed. “No one will want to hang out with me anymore. Because people will follow them, watch them.” It’s the latest round of ethics woes to face an administration that has come under fire for how it handled these issues in its first months in office: Phillip Banks resigned from his role as Deputy Mayor of Public Safety after he was later identified as an unindicted co-conspirator in a corruption case.Robert Mecea Times reporters also pointed to another hangout frequented by the mayor, a recently opened Italian restaurant in Midtown called La Baia. Adams dined at the West 52nd Street restaurant 14 times during the month, according to the report. City Hall did not provide receipts to the newspaper, although its representatives said the mayor receives a monthly bill for his meals. “I pay every bill. Not the city. I pay every bill. You say, “Well, why don’t you give proof?” “What mayor have you ever asked for receipts for his private dinners,” Adams argued. “You can’t have one rule for Eric and then one rule for everyone else.” Adams’ love of the spot and his relationship with its owners — Robert and Zhan Petrosyants, who pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from a check-cashing scheme — were first reported by Politico New York in February . “I owe no one a receipt for a private dinner I have with people in this town. I’m not going to start being treated differently,” he said. “I won’t accept it. This was a silly story. You know it was a stupid, stupid story.’
