NEW YORK MINUTE: New York City Mayor Eric Adams received a grand jury subpoena in July, as did City Hall and his election committee as part of an ongoing federal corruption investigation, the New York Times reported Thursday night. Adams and his lawyers have repeatedly denied wrongdoing, and the mayor last month responded defensively when asked for an update, calling the question “stupid.” Adams’ lawyers, Brendan McGuire and Boyd Johnson, said in a statement to the Times: “To be clear, we have not identified any evidence of illegal conduct by the mayor. To the contrary, we have identified extensive evidence undermining the reported theories of federal prosecution as to the mayor, which we have voluntarily shared with the U.S. attorney.” The investigation involving Turkish government influence into Adams’ 2021 campaign came into public view last November and appears to be nearing its conclusion, the Times added, with investigators conducting follow-up interviews with witnesses. — Jeff Coltin ABORTION AD: A Republican is going where only Democrats have gone this cycle in New York, launching a TV ad focused on reproductive rights. Rep. Marc Molinaro seeks to set his record straight in “Where I Stand,” which begins airing today, Playbook has learned. The 30-second spot is straightforward and no frills. It features the GOP freshman looking into the camera to voice what he’s expressed in written responses to Democrats’ attacks on him as anti-abortion. “I believe health decisions should be between a woman and her doctor, not Washington,” Molinaro says. The vulnerable upstate Republican is tackling head-on the very topic that Democrats — from his opponent, Josh Riley, and frontline Rep. Pat Ryan to the DCCC and House Majority Forward — have assailed the GOP over in their collective ad blitz. Democrats argue that swing-district GOP members can’t be trusted to buck their party on a nationwide abortion ban that some of its leaders are championing. Republican votes this term are the receipts, Democrats have told POLITICO. “While they can mouth the language of moderation, their voting records and party allegiance say the exact opposite,” said Dem consultant Alyssa Cass, who is part of the push to pass the New York Equal Rights Amendment this fall. Molinaro has countered that he isn’t aligned with his party on in vitro fertilization, a point highlighted in his ad. The procedure was thrust into the spotlight after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children, though the state legislature unwound some of the effects. Molinaro and Rep. Mike Lawler have staked out IVF as an area ripe for bipartisan cooperation. Both have described themselves as “personally pro-life,” made appearances at or donated to pregnancy crisis centers that dissuade pregnant women from abortions and hosted Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), co-chair of the House Pro-Life Caucus, recently in their districts. But they and the other four Republicans in New York battlegrounds expected to help determine control of the House are adamant in their opposition to a nationwide ban on abortion. The ad war in the 19th Congressional District, which spans five media markets, is shaping up to be a relatively expensive one, according to AdImpact. Molinaro’s new spot reveals reproductive rights are a top issue in his district, even if Republicans elsewhere in the state say it’s not in theirs. Riley responded that there’s a clear distinction on who will fight for abortion access. “Marc Molinaro has spent his 30-year political career attacking women’s health and reproductive freedom, and now he’s trying to cover his tracks during election season,” the Democratic candidate said. “I’m pro-choice, he’s anti-choice, and it’s really that simple.” — Emily Ngo HAPPY FRIDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
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