Adams swears in first ex-con to state Legislature
Mayor Adams took part in a slice of New York City history Thursday night as he swore in an East Harlem community leader as the neighborhood’s next assemblyman, making him the first excon to ever get a seat in the state Legislature.
Eddie Gibbs, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges in 1988, took his oath of office, administered by Adams, in the gymnasium at the Johnson Houses Community Center in East Harlem, near where he grew up.
“You are going to Albany right now at the right time. You are bringing street credibility,” Adams said before reading the oath.
“Look at you and me — ejected, rejected and now being respected,” the mayor added, prompting the audience to erupt in applause.
Gibbs (photo), who breezed to victory against Republican candidate Daby Benjamin Carreras in a special election held last month, copped to manslaughter charges in 1988 after killing a man in self-defense. Only 17 at the time, he was sentenced to four years in state prison, and spent his time behind bars earning an associate’s degree in business.
Gibbs, who has expressed remorse for his crime, grew visibly emotional after Adams swore him in, tears filling his eyes.
“My brother, our mayor,” Gibbs said, Adams beaming next to him.
Upon his release from prison, Gibbs had a brief stint as a standup comic and rapped with hip hop icons Biggie Smalls and Big L before turning to politics, becoming a district leader for East Harlem in 2017.
He replaces ex-Assemblyman Robert Rodriguez, who stepped down in November to become Gov. Hochul’s secretary of state.
The 68th Assembly district that Gibbs will represent includes the apartment building where two NYPD officers were recently killed after responding to a domestic dispute.
In a recent tweet, Gibbs pledged to be a partner to Adams in his mission to fight back against the city’s recent crime spike.
“I look forward to working in partnership with @NYCMayor on his Blueprint to End Gun Violence,” Gibbs tweeted, referring to Adams’ recently unveiled public safety plan.