Adrienne Adams ‘buys’ support to remain Council Speaker

City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams has donated $1,000 each to 35 of her fellow Democrats on the 51-member council, an unprecedented move as she asks for support to keep her leadership post.

The Adams Campaign Fund issued another $1,000 check to Manhattan Democratic Councilwoman Gail Brewer, which has not yet been cashed. Brooklyn Democratic Councilwoman Rita Joseph received only $250 from Adams, the speaker’s campaign confirmed.

“She may want to stay speaker, but it looks like she’s willing to buy the race anyway – just to be on the safe side,” a senior city Democrat said.

Most of the Democratic Council members who did not receive money from Adams have yet to set up 2023 campaign funds to accept donations, so the cash can flow.

This does not include Queens’ Robert Holden and Brooklyn’s Kalman Yeager, centrists who support six Republican members on many issues; and Charles Barron of Brooklyn and Manhattan socialist Kristin Richardson Jordon, the only members who refused to support Adams’s campaign last January when she was elected the city’s first black speaker.

While past speakers have donated to other council members’ campaigns, records show they typically donated no more than a few votes per election cycle. No speaker has come close to Adams’ generosity since the Council first began electing speakers in 1986.

“That’s the way business is done, and it’s nice to see the speaker stand by his members,” said a Democratic council member who received $1,000 from Adams.

Before seeking Council support for another term to remain Speaker, Adams, who has represented Jamaica and other parts of Queens since 2018, must first retain her council seat in November’s general election, where she will be the big favorite. She raised $442,308 for the campaign and has $288,033 on hand.

Hans Pennink

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Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli (R-Staten Island) said he agrees Adams is shelling out money to stay Speaker, even if he and other Republicans aren’t on the side of the recipient.

“This is how sausage is made,” he said.

Campaign spokesman Adams said the speaker “supports his members’ re-election and wants to make sure their campaigns have the resources to succeed.”