Now that he’s been installed as the new Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams has a lot of positions that he needs to fill in his administration. There are already plenty of new faces on the payroll, but one, in particular, has been drawing considerable press scrutiny. That would be the (possibly) incoming Deputy NYPD Commissioner, Bernard Adams. If you’re noticing a similarity in their names, it’s not a coincidence. Bernard is the Mayor’s brother. And if he is approved for this job he’ll be pulling down an enviable six-figure salary on the taxpayer’s dime. But Mayor Adams didn’t seem at all put off when he was asked about this bit of blatant nepotism on Jake Tapper’s show yesterday. He simply insisted that his brother was the best person for the job and he needs someone he can trust to oversee his personal security at a time when there’s so much white supremacy going around. (NY Post)

Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday defended choosing his brother to serve as a deputy NYPD commissioner, saying he needs someone he can trust to protect him — including from potential threats by white supremacists.

During an appearance on CNN, the new mayor revealed that his younger brother, former NYPD cop Bernard Adams, will be tasked with protecting his safety.

“Let me be clear on this: My brother is qualified for the position. Number one, he will be in charge of my security, which is extremely important to me at a time when we see an increase in white supremacy and hate crimes,” the black mayor said on “State of the Union” with Jake Tapper when pressed about potential conflicts of interests. “I have to take my security in a very serious way.”

The reason that Bernard Adams’ new position isn’t official yet (despite his name already showing up on the NYPD roster) is that the New York City Conflict of Interest Board will have to authorize the appointment before it can take effect. How they will overlook the obvious issues with hiring a sibling and the fact that his primary assignment will apparently involve ensuring the Mayor’s personal safety is a mystery.

That’s the second question that Adams should be pressed to answer. Since when is the Deputy Commissioner of the entire NYPD detailed to act as the Mayor’s personal security force? Not to mention being paid $242,000 per year to do so. Pretty good work if you can get it, eh?

It’s true that Bill de Blasio “hired” his own wife to take on certain responsibilities during his tenure. But Chirlane McCray never collected a salary as part of the City Hall payroll. (The fact that she botched nearly every job she was ever assigned and wasted billions of dollars can be left for another day.) Thus far, Mayor Adams has not even suggested that his brother might be working for free. And it’s not as if Bernard Adams was sitting around in retirement and looking for something to fill his time. He was working at Virginia Commonwealth University (as the “assistant director for parking”) and definitely drawing a paycheck.

I had allowed myself the luxury of getting my hopes up and thinking that Eric Adams might be bringing a new era of competent, principled leadership to Gotham City Hall. Perhaps he still will. But this rather shocking act of nepotism right out of the gate combined with his policy reversal on allowing illegal immigrants to vote in city elections are clear disappointments. Please try to do better, Mr. Mayor. Your city is in the midst of desperate times and they need you now more than ever.