Abbott following his buses to New York, again

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Mar 22, 2024 View in browser   By Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman Presented by New York Communities for Care With help from Irie Sentner Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is headlining the New York Republican Party’s annual gala, a deliberate statement aimed at local Democratic leadership. | Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is headlining the New York Republican Party’s annual gala on April 4, per an invitation obtained by Playbook. Abbott’s appearance is a deliberate statement to local Democratic leadership — and President Joe Biden — in an election year with immigration emerging as a leading issue. “This is the governor who stopped the caravans from pouring into Texas by building the wall at Eagle Pass,” NY GOP Chair Ed Cox told Playbook, referring to the small border town where Abbott has focused state resources — though he did not literally build a wall. “He had the guts to do it.” Abbott’s name might not even register in New York were it not for his scheme to bus migrants from the Mexican border to New York City. (One of the many bus companies doing the trips reached an agreement with Mayor Eric Adams’ administration this week to stop for now, POLITICO reported.) The wave of immigration into New York isn’t all on the governor. Most of the 182,000 migrants who have come through the city’s care in the last two years came on their own, without the Lone Star State’s help. But Abbott has loomed large as a foil for Adams, whose press office contrasts his “true American values” of “compassion and care” for migrants with the governor’s treatment of “human beings as political pawns.” As a naked political ploy, Abbott’s busing worked. Adams has blamed Biden for not doing enough to keep more migrants from coming to New York, in the kind of Dem-on-Dem conflict the GOP covets. But Adams has also said the city’s big spending on migrants is the Republican House majority’s fault. “Instead of inviting Governor Abbott to speak at a gala, we encourage members of the NYGOP to urge their far-right Republican colleagues in Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform,” an Adams spokesperson said in a statement, “something they have blocked for decades.” Abbott didn’t talk with Adams when he came to the city for a Manhattan Institute speech in September, and City Hall said he has never answered pleas to coordinate the bussing. Abbott’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment from Playbook. Still, Cox promised, “There will be a political point being made about where the blame lies” at their $1,250-a-ticket dinner at the Hilton Midtown in Manhattan, the party’s first big gala in five years. Are they fundraising for former President Donald Trump’s promised “heavy play” to win this almost-certainly-solid-blue state in November? Doesn’t seem like Cox is on board. “New York wants change,” he said, but added Ronald Reagan didn’t spend any money in New York in 1984 and won it anyway. — Jeff Coltin HAPPY FRIDAY! Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.   A message from New York Communities for Care: THANK YOU GOVERNOR HOCHUL for pushing to expand affordable healthcare access for New York families! Your proposal to eliminate insulin copays will help 1.6 million New Yorkers who struggle to afford the treatment. And by unlocking federal funding for local care, you’ll help families access care regardless of where they live.   WHERE’S KATHY? In Albany delivering remarks at the funeral of Chief Warrant Officer Casey Frankoski. WHERE’S ERIC? Calling in for a live interview on Good Music, Good Times (GMGT) LIVE’s “The Reset Talk Show,” then making an affordable housing-related announcement. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I have triangular motherships and a scattered fleet of UFOs that follow me around the world.” — Julio Barriere, 75, one of the “UFO truthers” interviewed by the New York Post at a rally outside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office. ABOVE THE FOLD Annual direct payments from the city to the state have increased by 70 percent in the past decade and 25 percent since Mayor Eric Adams took office two years ago, City Council members Justin Brannan and Lincoln Restler wrote this week to leaders in Albany. | Mark Lennihan/AP BIGGER APPLE COSTS: New York City has been sending Albany more money each year and its contribution has ballooned with Adams at the helm, according to a letter written by city lawmakers to state leaders and obtained by Playbook. Annual direct payments from the city to the state have increased by 70 percent in the past decade and 25 percent since the mayor took office two years ago, City Council members Justin Brannan and Lincoln Restler wrote this week to Gov. Kathy Hochul and state legislative leaders. Restler seeks a reversal of the cuts and cost shifts by Albany, but also advocacy and action by Adams. “The data tells the story that we are not getting our fair share and that things have been moving in the wrong direction over the last couple of years since the mayor came into office,” the Brooklyn progressive told Playbook. “The mayor’s ability to work with state leaders is one of the most important elements of his job.” An Adams spokesperson referred Playbook to the mayor’s recent budget testimony in Albany, in which he touted less crime and more jobs under his leadership and told state officials, “You have been our partners throughout this work.” Adams’ wins in Albany include an expanded Earned Income Tax Credit and authorized creation of a public housing trust. Newer costs hamstringing the city include a $2.8 million shift in MTA costs and $1.9 billion for a class size mandate, according to Brannan and Restler’s letter. A Hochul spokesperson did not address funding for the city specifically, but said her executive budget “makes record-setting investments in New York’s future while ensuring the state remains on a stable long-term fiscal trajectory” and she is working with the state Legislature toward those goals in a final budget. A spokesperson for state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins declined to comment. A spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie did not respond to a request for comment. — Emily Ngo CITY HALL: THE LATEST Scott Stringer told Playbook he’s been fundraising at house parties throughout the city as he explores a run against Mayor Eric Adams. | Frank Franklin II/AP STRINGER’S STRONGHOLD: A former mayoral candidate who represented Manhattan before winning citywide office made his case Thursday night against Adams in a district that votes in big numbers. Scott Stringer, the former city comptroller who has begun exploring a mayoral run, returned to his old haunts for a meeting of the West Side Democrats. There, he floated his candidacy and blasted Adams’ record on housing, the migrant crisis and budget cuts. “What's happened over the last couple of years is we stopped thinking big. We stopped thinking that we had possibilities,” Stringer said. “With a wink and a nod, we are becoming a minimalist government. In other words, we do the bare minimum.” “Once I’m the mayor, I’m going to make sure we have seven-day libraries,” he added, siding with New Yorkers who have protested Adams’ budget cuts. Stringer also criticized Adams’ response to the migrant crisis. “How dare this administration blame the ills of bad budgeting on the most vulnerable people on Earth, people fleeing their country with their children, they have nowhere to go, they fear persecution, they come to us,” Stringer said. The New York Democratic fixture ran with progressive support in 2021, before his campaign crumbled after he was accused of decades-old sexual misconduct — an allegation he vehemently denies. His remarks Thursday night hint at what he deems winnable issues for an Adams challenger — namely the mayor’s handling of nearly 200,000 migrants over the past two years. “We embrace them on a Monday. We hate them on Tuesday. We blame them for the destruction of the city on Wednesday. And on Thursday, we don't know what to do. So we blame Biden and the state Legislature and the governor and the City Council, but the mayor does not step up with strategies to deal with this issue,” Stringer said. An Adams campaign spokesperson declined to comment. Despite Adams’ lagging poll numbers, Stringer has an uphill battle: the mayor has raised nearly $3 million. Stringer told Playbook he’s been fundraising at house parties throughout the city and said “it’s going well,” but declined to give precise numbers. “This race is going better than the last race,” Stringer said during the speech. “There seems to be buyer’s remorse.” Stringer began his political career as a Democratic district leader on the Upper West Side of Manhattan — an area with one of the highest consistent voter turnouts in the city. Speaking to the crowd of about 50, Stringer said, “It’s really great to be home with all of you, and I’m really emotional because this is family.” — Irie Sentner REPRESENTATION QUESTION: No decision can be made on whether city attorneys will represent Adams aide Tim Pearson in his sexual harassment case until Pearson, the city and others are served, a City Hall spokesperson told Playbook. The city’s corporation counsel, using taxpayer dollars, will defend Adams in a separate lawsuit alleging he sexually assaulted a police bureau colleague in 1993. Sylvia Hinds-Radix and the city Law Department have discretion over which city employees they represent and they can’t yet make a determination on Pearson. On Thursday, days after the detailed complaint against Adams was filed, a retired NYPD sergeant accused Pearson, one of the mayor’s most trusted confidants, of unwanted sexual advances and retaliation when she spurned him in 2022 and 2023. Pearson’s co-defendants are the city of New York, the Economic Development Corporation and NYPD brass Jeffrey Maddrey and Joseph Profeta. An NYPD spokesperson said the department doesn’t comment on pending litigation. An Adams spokesperson said the city is reviewing the complaint, defended Pearson’s record of service and said the accuser had not cooperated in a City Hall probe of her allegations. — Emily Ngo More from the city: — Two years into his term, New York’s enigmatic mayor is confronting several crises. (The Atlantic) — Frank Carone, Adams’ former chief of staff, rescinded his lobbying registration earlier this month, though others in his firm have lobbied Adams and Hochul officials. (Daily News) — No landlords have yet been fined for renting out space to unlicensed weed shops under a law that took effect nearly eight months ago. (Daily News)   A message from New York Communities for Care:   NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt told Playbook "There’s no way we’re going to have a budget done on the 28th." | Hans Pennink/AP BUDGET WATCH: State lawmakers left Albany for the weekend on Thursday, but talks are expected to continue through the weekend. If you’re a Planet Albany denizen, odds are you’ve been asked to take a prop bet on when the budget passes (before or after the April 8 eclipse has become a popular line of demarcation). Publicly, lawmakers have been optimistic about an on-time deal. Privately, they acknowledge that’s an overly rosy date to get a deal in place. “There’s no way we’re going to have a budget done on the 28th,” Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt told Playbook. The calendar is a tricky one this year given the first day of the fiscal year, April 1, falls a day after the Easter holiday. So that’s why Hochul has encouraged lawmakers to get, at minimum, a handshake deal by March 28. — Nick Reisman SNAP BACK: A disparate set of organizations — the Business Council, AARP and the New York State Association for Rural Health — are pressing Hochul to agree to a boost in the minimum benefit under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the budget. In a letter to Hochul, the groups called for a $50 million plan to set the floor benefit at $50 a month for qualifying families. “Businesses want this. The agriculture industry wants this,” Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas said. “Most importantly, New Yorkers are going hungry and it is our responsibility to act.” — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — The ongoing Israel-Hamas war is creating tensions among lawmakers in Albany. (NY1) — A midlevel state court upheld New York’s red flag law. (Newsday) — A closely watched green energy bill cleared the state Senate, but its fate remains in doubt in the Assembly. (Spectrum News) KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION Josh Riley's campaign says a pro-Marc Molinaro account in the style of Mary Poppins is really the work of the Republican representative himself or at least one of his staffers. | Courtesy of Josh Riley for Congress MARY POPPINS OR MARC MOLINARO? Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro may or may not be moonlighting as a politically attuned Mary Poppins through a burner social media account, according to his Democratic opponent Josh Riley’s campaign. A Daily Beast article published Thursday presents the accusation through a rollercoaster of head-scratching similarities between Molinaro’s own account on X, formerly Twitter, and a pro-Molinaro social media troll account that tweets in the style of the flying nanny from Broadway’s Tony-winning musical. “Oh dear, @JoshRileyUE. What in heaven’s name are you talking about?” reads one tweet from the account, criticizing Riley. The piece stops short of naming Molinaro or one of his staffers as the sassy voice behind the Poppins of NY-19. The most damning clue presented is that the Poppins account and Marc Molinaro posted the same message to X within the span of two minutes after the July birth of Riley’s son: “Congratulations to you both. Corinne and I wish much happiness and new blessing to your growing family,” the two posts read. Corinne is Molinaro’s wife. Molinaro’s campaign denied having any connection to the account. Still, Riley’s campaign offered up a new piece of evidence to Playbook. Molinaro and Mary Poppin’s tweets both contain a quirky semantic signature: the use of the conjunction “and” followed by a comma, as pictured above. Take it all with a grain of salt, though, and maybe a spoonful of sugar, too, dear. — Jason Beeferman NEW YORK STATE OF MIND — State Police warn the coming eclipse could create hours of gridlock in parts of upstate. (Times Union) — Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged the owner and manager of the Grimaldi’s pizza chain with stealing more than $20,000 in wages from at least seven workers. (Gothamist) — A New York appellate court upheld the state’s “red flag law,” which enables authorities to confiscate firearms from a person deemed a potential threat to themselves or others. (Newsday)   A message from New York Communities for Care: New Yorkers from all backgrounds have seen the impact of Governor Hochul’s policies to reduce healthcare costs and increase access to care in low-income communities. The Governor has proposed record funding to expand affordable healthcare access for New York families. Eliminating insulin copays, which would help 1.6 million New Yorkers who struggle to afford the treatment. Supporting new moms with expanded paid leave during pregnancy. Securing $6 billion from the Federal government to invest in healthcare access for low-income New Yorkers. New Yorkers deserve healthcare they can trust. Thank you Governor Hochul for having our backs. Paid for by NY Communities for Care.   SOCIAL DATA Edited by Daniel Lippman FOR YOUR RADAR — Senate Majority PAC, the Democratic super PAC close to Sen. Chuck Schumer, is setting aside a $500,000 donation it received from Gaurav Srivastava, the L.A. business owner accused of fraudulently pretending to be associated with the CIA. Senate Majority PAC spokesperson Sarah Guggenheimer said they were putting it aside “as a precaution.” Schumer met Srivastava once, according to a person close to the senator, who added that he doesn’t have a relationship with him. Asked for comment, Srivastava’s lawyer passed along a statement from his client saying: “I have not been made aware by the committee that my contribution has been placed in escrow. If indeed the funds are not being deployed for election purposes for which it was solicited, then I request my contribution to be returned immediately.” When asked if SMP will comply with his request, Guggenheimer said the super PAC currently has no plans to return the money. MAKING MOVES — Former Bush White House press secretary Ari Fleischer will become a strategic consultant at BCW. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Sopan Deb, a reporter at the New York Times, and Wesley Dietrich, an associate at Cooley LLP, on Feb. 28 welcomed Kiran. Pic ... Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Wolf Blitzer … NBC’s Ali Vitali … Emily Rockefeller … Molly Dektar … Time’s Ruairí Arrieta-Kenna … Matthew Leib … Jeffrey Vinik … Matt Negrin … Jeremy Bloom … Peter Lezama … (WAS THURSDAY): Roy Niederhoffer ... Matthew Broderick ... Joshua H. Landes ... Haskel Lookstein YOUR NEW YORK NUMBER OF THE DAY Up to 60 days Jail time that Daniel Ohebshalom, a fixture on the city’s “worst landlords” list, faces unless and until he addresses nearly 700 violations impacting tenants’ health and safety at his buildings. Ohebshalom turned himself in on Thursday.   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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