Ex-NYPD Eric is still taking bites from ‘bad apple’ cops
Democratic mayoral candidate Eric Adams has not returned political donations from several NYPD officers reprimanded for drunken driving, excessive use of force and other misconduct — even though his campaign promised nearly a month ago that it would give back contributions from cops with checkered pasts.
The Adams campaign said on Sept. 12 it would “of course” return any donations from NYPD members “shown to have abused their authority and violated their oath” after the Daily News reported he had received money from at least 13 city cops found guilty of various wrongdoing in intradepartment proceedings.
But Adams’ latest campaign finance filing, from Friday, shows only one of those donations was returned — $400 contributed by NYPD Sgt. Ed Mullins in August — while the other 12 officers’ cash stayed in his coffers.
Mullins, the outspoken head of the NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association, has not been formally disciplined for any wrongdoing, but is facing a department trial for calling Democratic Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres a “first-class whore” on Twitter, among other eyebrow-raising social media activity.
Unlike Mullins, the 12 pro-Adams cops who did not get their money returned have been found guilty and disciplined by the department.
Combined, campaign finance records show the 12 officers have given $5,626 to Adams, a retired NYPD captain who is all but certain to win the Nov. 2 mayoral election against Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
After not responding to repeated calls, texts and emails over several weeks about the issue, Adams spokesman Evan Thies claimed late Monday — following internet publication of this story — that the campaign had returned donations from three officers first reported by The News totaling $1,275, in addition to the Mullins contribution.
Thies said the rescinded donations were made by Asad Anwar, an officer found guilty by the department of wrongfully using force “without police necessity”; Jeanyvens Morand, an officer who was suspended for engaging “in a verbal and physical altercation with a person known to the department,” and Khandakar Abdullah, a captain reprimanded for abusing his authority and driving drunk.
However, there was no record in the
Campaign Finance Board database of the Anwar, Morand and Abdullah donations being returned. Thies claimed that was because the campaign finalized the returns on Monday.
Adams’ reliance on cash from cops with legal troubles stands in sharp contrast to his campaign pledge to root out “bad apples” from the NYPD.
“If you are abusive in my city, you are going to be out of the department within 90 days,” Adams said in a May appearance on MSNBC. “We are going to lift up the standard and expectation of our officers.”
Another Adams-backing NYPD member with a disciplinary record is Lt. Donald Stewart, who was found guilty in department proceedings of driving under the influence, refusing Breathalyzer tests and being “unfit for duty” in 2014, according to police records.
Stewart was initially ordered booted from the force, but got reinstated after a 12-month suspension.
After The News reported on the NYPD contributions last month, Stewart gave Adams $250 — on top of $150 he had previously contributed.
Thies would not explain why the Adams campaign returned the donation from Abdullah — who was also suspended for 12 months over drunken driving — while holding on to the cash from Stewart.
The spokesman insisted Adams has “a clear
standard for police who contributed” and that his campaign is “still investigating claims made by the Daily News.”
“If they violated their oath while performing their duty as officers, the campaign will return their support,” he said. “That does not include what they do in their personal lives or if they were accused of misconduct but not found guilty of any.”
Other NYPD officers who have not gotten their Adams contributions returned include Cuintyna Carter, who was suspended for 12 months in 2015 after being found guilty by the department of threatening a person “known to the department,” leaving a threatening voice mail for the same person, making misleading statements to investigators and “wrongfully” operating an unregistered vehicle. Carter gave Adams $50 in late 2019.
One of the most generous pro-Adams members of the NYPD is Ruthen Goddard, who has given a total of $1,150 over the course of 2020 and 2021.
Goddard, a sergeant, was found guilty by the department in 2017 of submitting a letter requesting a promotion that he “knew contained a false statement” and then “made false and misleading statements during official department interviews conducted in regard to religious accommodation,” police records show. He was suspended for 12 months for the lies and stripped of 60 vacation days.